AMBASSADOR 


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THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 


THE 
AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 


BY 

LAWRENCE   BYRNE 


NEW  YORK 

CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS 
1917 


COPYRIGHT,  1917,  BY 
CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 


Published  May,  1917 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 


The  American  Ambassador 


WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 
October  i,  19 — . 

THREE  days  ago,  out  of  a  clear  sky,  this  telegram 
arrived : 

Come  at  once  to  Washington.     Think  I  have  you  fixed. 

WALTER. 

Walter  is  my  best  friend.  He  has  succeeded 
fairly  well  in  the  Diplomatic  Service,  and  at  present 
is  fulfilling  an  important  position — if  one  may  judge 
by  the  resonant  title  which  signifies  it — in  the 
Department  of  State.  He  has  been  urging  me  for 
several  years  to  go  in  for  diplomacy;  always  encour 
aging  me  with  the  remark  that  I  am  so  admirably 
fitted  for  it.  What  he  means  by  this  I  don't  exactly 
know.  I'm  of  the  opinion  that  he  doesn't  either. 
However,  I  had  told  him  to  tip  me  off  if  any  chance 
came;  and  I  felt  sure  that  this  telegram  meant  that 
the  opportunity  had  come  knocking  at  my  door. 

He  met  me  at  the  station. 

"You're  looking  quite  fit.  Ready  for  a  job?" 
He  took  me  by  the  arm  and  piloted  me  through 
the  crowd  to  his  motor.  "It's  all  ready  for  you." 


2  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

"  Is  it  Ambassador  ? — or  just  plain  Mr.  Minister  ?  " 

"It  may  lead  to  both.  At  present  it's  private 
secretary  to  an  ambassador;  a  position  without  pay; 
but  one  filled  with  honors  and  opportunities.  It 
will  take  you  almost  anywhere  you  want  to  go. 
By  the  way,"  he  broke  off  abruptly  and  indicated  a 
huge  pile  of  gray  buildings,  "that  is  by  way  of 
being  the  Capitol  of  the  United  States  of  America. 
Did  you  ever  see  it  before?" 

I  shook  my  head,  and  looked  at  the  great  impres 
sive  mass.  Silhouetted  against  a  vivid  autumn  sky 
it  struck  me  as  one  of  the  most  splendid  things  I 
had  ever  seen. 

"You  provincial  New  Yorkers!"  Walter  railed 
at  me.  "Anything  west  of  New  York  doesn't 
exist  for  you.  Think  of  living  to  be  twenty-six 
years  old  and  never  having  seen  Washington!" 
He  had  not  seen  it  either  until  he  had  entered  the 
Diplomatic  Service  six  years  before.  "That,"  he 
went  on,  pointing  across  the  city,  "is  the  Washing 
ton  Monument.  Oh,  there  are  heaps  of  things  for 
you  to  see  here.  We'll  go  sightseeing  to-morrow." 

He  settled  back  in  the  motor,  offered  me  a  ciga 
rette,  and  lighted  one  himself. 

"I  might  as  well  put  you  en  rapport  with  the 
whole  thing  at  once.  Over  there,"  he  nodded 
toward  a  white  stone  building  near  the  Capitol, 
"  is  what  are  called  the  senatorial  offices.  In  one  of 
them  we  are  going  to  find,  at  five  o'clock,  a  certain 
Senator  Colborne — John  T. — from  the  West.  At 
least  that  is  what  he  was.  He  is  now,  if  you  please, 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  3 

his  Excellency,  the  American  Ambassador  to  a 
not  unimportant  European  country.  I  met  him  the 
other  day  at  the  State  Department.  He  said  he 
was  looking  for  a  chap  to  take  along  as  private 
secretary,  and  I  at  once  thought  of  you.  He  said 
to  have  you  down  for  a  talk.  So — here  we  are." 

"Then  I'm  on  trial?"  I  grumbled. 

"Not  at  all.  Only — he  couldn't  take  you  with 
out  seeing  you,  could  he  ?  " 

"What  is  he  like?  Some  awful  species,  I  sup 
pose.  From  the  West!  Ugh!" 

Walter  laughed  gayly.  "  I'm  not  going  to  tell  you 
anything  about  him.  You  can  judge  for  yourself." 

"You  must  at  least  tip  me  off  as  to  what  he 
expects  of  me." 

Walter  appeared  to  be  getting  a  great  deal  of  fun 
out  of  my  questions.  "Be  yourself,  old  man," 
he  said,  "with  a  few  discreet  suppressions.  Remem 
ber  that  there  is  nothing  in  the  whole  world  so 
scorned  by  the  average  senator  as  our  so-called 
New  York  effeteness.  Indeed,  I  believe  that  is 
the  attitude  of  the  average  American  man,  after 
you  get  beyond  the  seaboard.  To  them,  a  chap 
who  is  interested  in  artistic  things  is  at  once  suspi 
cious;  if  he  happens  to  play  some  musical  instru 
ment,  he  is  effeminate;  if  he  knows  the  difference 
between  calico  and  chiffon,  he  is  an  out-and-out 
degenerate."  Walter  lifted  his  hands  with  a  gesture 
reminiscent  of  the  Continent.  "A  word  to  the  wise 
is  sufficient.  In  other  words,  you  expect  me  to 
pose  before  this  impossible  Colborne  as  a  sort  of — of 


4  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

crowbar  twister.  I  think  I'll  take  the  next  train  back 
to  New  York." 

Walter  roared.  "You're  misjudging  him.  He's 
all  right.  Only — I  thought  you  might  accidentally 
say  something  about  having  studied  singing  for 
two  years  in  Milan." 

"Well,  what  if  I  did?" 

Walter  looked  at  me  soberly.  "I  hardly  think 
that  would  impress  the  Senator  as  being  a  necessary 
requisite  for  his  private  secretary." 

The  motor  had  drawn  up  before  the  portentous 
white-stone  building.  Walter  sprang  out.  I  tar 
ried  a  little  behind,  not  altogether  happy  over  the 
impressions  I  had  received  of  the  Senator  from 
the  West.  I  had  practically  made  up  my  mind  to 
refuse  his  offer  before  I  had  seen  him. 

"Cheer  up,  old  man."  Walter  slapped  me  on 
the  back  as  we  stood  before  the  Senator's  door. 
"You're  not  going  to  be  hanged.  If  you  don't 
like  him,  you  don't  have  to  go." 

Mr.  Colborne  received  us  in  his  private  office. 
At  first  glance  he  did  not  appear  as  provincial  as 
I  had  expected.  He  wore  a  well-cut  blue-serge 
suit,  and  though  there  was  no  pretense  at  smart 
ness  about  him,  he  was  quite  a  bit  removed  from 
the  type  of  provincial  senator  made  familiar  to  us 
by  comic  cartoons.  He  is  about  fifty,  I  suppose. 
Gray  hair,  gray  mustache,  gray-blue  eyes  with  a 
nice,  jolly  twinkle  in  them,  and  a  good,  clear  com 
plexion.  His  voice  is  not  objectionable;  indeed, 
it  is  rather  pleasant — deep  and  resonant.  He  does 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  5 

not  hang  onto  words,  or  separate  them  with  "and — 
er."  In  fact,  he  is  quite  direct.  His  manner  is 
easy  and  assured — free-and-easy,  I  suppose  you 
would  call  it — though  not  for  a  moment  approach 
ing  vulgar  familiarity.  Of  course  he  is  the  type 
that  is  produced  nowhere  else  except  in  the  United 
States.  On  the  whole,  I  found  myself  liking  him 
from  the  start. 

"Here's  my  friend,  Senator,  just  arrived,"  was 
Walter's  way  of  presenting  me. 

I  felt  my  hand  clasped  warmly,  and  a  quick  inspec 
tion  shot  at  me  from  the  gray-blue  eyes. 

"Mighty  glad  to  meet  you,  young  man.  Sit 
down,  both  of  you."  He  resumed  his  seat  in  the 
revolving  chair  before  a  mahogany  desk,  and 
reached  for  a  box  of  cigars.  He  held  the  box 
toward  me.  "  Smoke  ?  " 

"Thanks,  only  cigarettes,"  I  answered,  feeling  for 
my  case  and  receiving  a  scowl  from  Walter.  He, 
to  my  surprise,  took  a  cigar  from  the  proffered 
box. 

The  Senator  cut  his  with  a  gold  clipper  attached 
to  his  watch-chain,  lighted  it,  and  leaned  back  in 
his  chair. 

"Know  anything  about  diplomacy?" 

I  looked  at  him,  caught  the  twinkle  in  his  eye, 
and  laughed.  "As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  don't,  sir." 

He  laughed  with  me.  "  You  haven't  got  anything 
on  me  there,  young  man.  That  being  the  case, 
what  sort  of  team-work  do  you  think  we  can  pull 
off  together?" 


6  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

I  threw  a  glance  at  Walter.  He  appeared  a  little 
perplexed. 

"Together,  we  might  make  a  great  success  of 
it,"  I  said,  feeling  thoroughly  at  ease.  The  Senator 
is  really  quite  sympathetic. 

"  How?  "he  asked. 

"By  both  approaching  it  in " 

"Complete  ignorance ?" 

"  I  was  going  to  say — without  prejudices." 

"The  same  thing.  Perhaps  you  are  right."  He 
threw  back  his  head,  crossed  his  legs,  and  drew  at 
the  cigar.  "They  tell  me  at  the  State  Depart 
ment" — this  with  a  sidelong  glance  at  Walter— 
"that  there  are  two  secretaries  already  at  the  Em 
bassy;  that  all  I'll  have  to  do  will  be  to  put  myself 
in  their  hands.  That,  however,  is  exactly  what  I 
don't  intend  to  do.  I  have  never  put  myself  in  any 
one's  hands."  He  let  his  fist  fall  on  the  table  with 
a  bang. 

"Still — if  they  are  trained  men- 
He  broke  into  a  laugh.  "Do  you  know  what 
trained  men  in  our  Diplomatic  Service  means?" 

I  waved  my  hand  toward  Walter.  "He  is  the 
only  one  I  know." 

"He  is  the  exception." 

"Indeed,  I'm  not,"  Walter  protested.  "Our 
service  has  changed  a  great  deal  in  the  past  few 
years.  We  have  serious  men  in  every  embassy 
now.  You  are  judging,  Senator,  by  your  trip  to 
Europe  of  twenty  years  ago." 

"I  hope  you  are  not  mistaken,"  the  Senator  said 


THE   AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  7 

to  Walter;  then  turned  back  to  me.  "Look  here, 
young  man" — again  his  fist  fell  on  the  desk  with 
a  bang.  Beyond  giving  me  a  start,  I  was  growing 
fascinated  by  the  very  force  of  the  clinched  fingers. 
The  gesture  was  full  of  expressive  power.  "Look 
here,  if  you  go  with  me,  I  want  you  to  be  more 
than  a  stuffed-shirt  social  secretary.  I'm  looking 
for  a  man  that  I  can  trust." 

He  looked  at  me  through  several  moments  of 
silence,  his  head  a  little  forward,  his  eyes  intently 
searching  mine,  his  mustache  pushed  up  by  an  odd 
contraction  of  the  lips.  It  was  a  most  disconcert 
ing  glance;  he  probably  meant  it  to  be.  However, 
I  met  his  eyes  squarely.  At  last  he  turned  to 
Walter. 

"You  guarantee  him;  don't  you?" 

" I'll  go  even  further,"  said  Walter.  "I'll  indorse 
him." 

"  Good ! "  The  Senator  held  out  his  hand  to  me 
and  nearly  broke  every  one  of  my  fingers  in  his 
grasp.  "You  might  as  well  know  at  once  that 
I'm  not  going  to  Europe  just  to  get  a  four  years' 
pension  out  of  the  Government.  I'm  going  for  a 
purpose.  Do  you  understand?  I'm  going  to  put 
through  a  deal  that  will  be  about  as  important  as 
anything  the  U.  S.  A.  has  ever  done."  I  saw  the 
ringers  clinch  again,  and  then  relax.  "Of  course 
I  don't  speak  anything  but  American.  I'll  have 
to  rely  on  you  to  talk  to  those  fellows  for  me.  You 
speak  French?" 

"He  knows  it  backward !"  Walter  cut  in 


8  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

"Well,  I  prefer  everything  straightforward,"  said 
the  Senator  with  a  twinkle.  Then  turning  to  me 
he  suddenly  demanded:  "When  can  you  go?" 
The  question  caught  me  unprepared.  Since  meet 
ing  him  I  had  been  more  interested  in  studying 
him  than  in  thinking  of  myself.  But  here,  quite 
suddenly,  I  was  face  to  face  with  a  decision.  With 
out  further  debate,  I  took  the  plunge. 

"I  can  go  at  once  if  you  wish  me  to." 

I  saw  Walter's  glow  of  enthusiasm;  also  the 
Senator's  expression  of  satisfaction. 

"  Then — let's  see — next  week  ?  "  He  has  a  way  of 
firing  a  question  at  you,  and  then  levelling  his  eyes  on 
you  to  see  how  you  took  it.  Much  as  a  man  fires 
a  gun  and  watches  to  see  how  true  his  aim  was. 

"If  necessary — yes.  Though  next  week  is  a  bit 
sooner  than  I  had  expected  to  go." 

"I  am  going  in  about  a  couple  of  weeks  myself. 
I'm  only  waiting  now  for  my  wife  and  daughter  to 
get  ready.  I'd  like  very  much  for  you  to  get  over 
there  a  little  ahead  of  me  and  size  up  the  situation. 
Can  you  do  it?" 

"  I'll  make  a  point  of  it,  sir." 

"  Good ! "  He  rose  and  held  out  his  hand.  "  I'm 
glad  you  brought  him  to  me."  This  to  Walter. 
Then  to  me:  "We'll  hit  it  off  all  right,  I'm  sure. 
By  the  way,  suppose  you  come  down  after  dinner 
to-night  to  the  Willard  Hotel.  We'll  have  a  chance 
then  to  talk  a  little  more  about  it." 

Walter  and  I  were  silent  for  an  appreciable 
time  after  we  returned  to  the  motor.  Pennsylvania 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  9 

Avenue  and  its  dreary  buildings  stretched  on  either 
side  of  us  before  Walter  spoke. 

"  Well,  what  do  you  think  of  him  ?  " 

I  had  been  thinking  of  the  Senator  during  our 
silence,  and  yet  did  not  know  exactly  what  I  did 
think  of  him.  One  is  likely  to  feel  him  more  than 
form  an  opinion  of  him.  He  is  a  puzzling  combina 
tion  of  contradictions.  I  am  certain  of  only  one 
thing:  he  is  a  big  man.  Yes,  he  may  lack  refine 
ment  and  cultivation,  I  grant  you  that;  but  he  is 
well  educated  and,  I  should  say,  a  gentleman.  Of 
course  I  have  not  yet  seen  him  in  the  presence  of 
women.  That  is  always  a  very  sure  and  a  very 
quick  test  of  a  gentleman.  I  have  never  quite 
understood  the  subtlety  of  it;  but  after  I  have  gone 
along  for  some  tune  seeing  a  man  only  among  men 
and  thinking  him  a  thoroughly  good  sort,  then, 
quite  suddenly,  I  see  him  with  a  woman  and  know 
at  once  that  he  is  a  rotter.  But  even  if  I  find  the 
Senator  a  boor  among  women,  I  have  the  feeling  that 
he  will  still  be  able  to  soar  above  all  these  questions 
— there  is  something  about  him  really  big,  very 
human,  and  virile. 

I  told  Walter  my  impressions.  He  received  them 
in  satisfied  silence. 

"You  did  rather  well/'  he  said  at  length.  "I 
think  I  was  more  interested  in  you  than  in  the 
Senator.  I  had  no  idea  he  could  be  bluffed — and 
particularly  by  you.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  believe 
it  has  lowered  him  in  my  estimation." 

"But  I  didn't  bluff!" 


io  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

"Oh,  come  now,  of  course  you  did."  Walter 
scoffed  at  my  seriousness.  "  You  sat  up  and  looked 
as  wise  as  an  owl.  No  one  would  ever  have  guessed 
you  had  spent  a  year  with  Jean  de  Reszke  trying 
to  learn  to  sing.  Do  you  like  him  ?  " 

"Immensely.  But  I'm  not  sure  he  will  like  me. 
Living  up  to  what  he  expects  of  me  may  be  tire 
some." 

"At  least — it  will  be  good  training." 

"Fiddlesticks!  Tell  me  about  the  wife  and 
daughter." 

Walter  looked  out  of  the  window.  I  took  his 
averted  face  to  mean  disapproval.  His  answer,  how 
ever,  was  quite  impersonal.  "I've  only  seen  them 
once  or  twice.  The  wife  is  an  exceedingly  good- 
looking  woman.  In  fact,  she  is  beautiful.  She  is  his 
second  wife." 

"And  the  daughter?" 

"Kate  Colborne,"  Walter  looked  ahead  thought 
fully.  "She  is  one  of  the —  '  he  broke  off  with  a 
laugh.  "I'm  not  going  to  tell  you  everything  in 
advance.  Wait  and  find  out  for  yourself.  Only 
this — the  present  Mrs.  Colborne  is  her  step 
mother." 

I  lighted  a  cigarette  and  leaned  back  in  the  motor. 
"Somehow,  Walter,  you've  cooled  my  enthusiasm. 
You  don't  like  the  wife  and  daughter." 

Walter's  amazement  appeared  sincere.  "Why 
should  you  say  that?  I  barely  know  them." 

"That's  just  it.  Yet  you  are  such  a  good  friend 
of  the  Senator." 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  n 

Walter  gave  me  a  dig  with  his  elbow.  "My  dear 
fellow,  if  you  are  going  into  diplomacy,  draw  your 
own  conclusions  as  much  as  you  please;  but,  for 
heaven's  sake,  don't  put  them  into  words." 

The  motor  stopped  before  an  insignificant  little 
building.  Walter  sprang  out  with  more  enthusiasm 
than  I  had  before  observed  in  him. 

"This,"  he  said,  with  a  wave  of  the  hand,  "is 
where  they  make  the  Protocol  Cocktail." 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C., 
October  15,  19 — . 

I  am  sailing  to-morrow.  It  has  been  a  steady 
rush  since  the  day  I  arrived  in  Washington.  Walter 
put  me  through  a  three  days'  course  of  diplomacy, 
warranted  to  prepare  me  to  handle,  with  marvellous 
tact,  any  question  that  might  come  up  for  a  private 
secretary.  I'm  sure  I  can  now  receive  and  return 
cards  in  the  most  approved  fashion,  with  the  upper 
right-hand  corner,  mind  you,  always  neatly  folded 
over;  I  can  seat  thirty  people  at  dinner  without 
making  one  social  gaffe,  so  Walter  assures  me,  if  I 
follow  his  instructions;  but  I  can  do  even  more  than 
this — for  I  learned  during  my  three  days  at  the  State 
Department  how  to  keep  an  official  caller  waiting 
at  least  four  hours.  You  watch  him  every  now  and 
then,  through  the  keyhole,  and  when  his  patience 
is  exhausted,  and  he  is  actually  on  the  point  of 
leaving,  you  let  him  in. 

Walter  tells  me  I  shall  find  Dalton,  the  first 
Secretary,  a  nice  fellow — the  right  sort:  the  second 


12  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

Secretary,  Atkins,  he  doesn't  know.  They  are  both 
at  the  Embassy  now  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  new 
chief — and  trembling  while  they  wait — Walter  added, 
explaining  the  awful  suspense  he  had  often  been 
through  before  he  knew  what  his  new  chief  would 
be  like. 

The  night  I  left  Washington,  I  tried  to  find  out 
what  Senator  Colborne  referred  to  as  the  reason  for 
his  going  abroad. 

"I  give  you  my  word  I  don't  know,"  Walter 
said.  "Of  course,  you  know  that  old  question  that 
has  been  up  between  the  two  countries  for  half  a 
century  or  more.  He  may  mean  that.  I  hope  he 
doesn't,  though." 

"Why?" 

"Because  he  is  doomed  to  disappointment  if  he 
thinks  he  can  put  that  through." 

"I  shouldn't  mind  seeing  him  try,"  I  said. 

"Yes,  it  would  be  instructive." 

"And,  ten  to  one,  he'd  do  it." 

Walter  yawned  at  my  enthusiasm.  "Not  that 
deal,  you  may  be  sure.  Besides,  I  don't  think  that 
is  the  real  object  of  his  going." 

"No?    Then  what  is  it?" 

"The  object  almost  every  American  has  in  accept 
ing  a  diplomatic  mission." 

"What?" 

"To  gratify  his  wife !" 

At  the  station  I  caught  a  reflective  look  on  Wal 
ter's  face.  "I  was  just  envying  you,"  he  said  with 
a  smile,  when  I  asked  him  the  cause  of  his  expression. 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  13 

"It  seems  to  me  that  you  are  going  to  have  the  time 
of  your  life." 

"How?" 

"Can  you  imagine  anything  funnier  than  watch 
ing  John  T.  Colborne  circulating  in  one  of  the  oldest 
European  court  circles?  My  dear  fellow—  '  the 
train  began  to  move.  "And  don't  forget,  when 
diplomacy  gets  a  little  difficult,  what  the  Congress 
man  from  Arkansas  said:  'A  successful  diplomat, 
like  Caesar's  wife,  must  be  all  things  to  all  men ! ' ' 

NEW  YORK, 
October  20,  19 — . 

I  have  nine  days'  travel  ahead  of  me.  Six  days  on 
the  steamer  and  three  more  beyond  Paris.  But 
what  are  nine  days  when  I  have  nine  volumes 
of  international  law  which  Walter  insists  I  must 
carry  under  my  arm  all  the  way.  He  is  trying  to 
make  me  a  diplomatist  of  the  ancien  regime;  while 
John  T.,  if  I'm  not  very  much  mistaken,  will  insist 
upon  my  being  either  of  the  "shirt-sleeve"  or  "dol 
lar"  variety.  I  wonder  which? 


II 

En  Poste, 
November  8,  19 — . 

I  ARRIVED  this  morning;  and  if  this  day  is  a  fore 
cast  of  what  is  to  come  time  will  not  hang  heavy  on 
my  hands.  I  stopped  in  Paris  a  week.  It  is  too 
pleasant  a  place  to  run  through  as  I  had  intended. 
Even  shrouded  in  mists  and  a  biting  wind  blowing, 
it  is  still  the  gayest  city  in  the  world.  I  wonder  if 
New  York  will  ever  acquire  its  lightness. 

I  finally  tore  myself  away  and  woke  up  here  this 
morning  to  find  a  much  milder  climate,  the  sun 
shining  gayly,  fountains  plashing,  and  the  town  all 
aglow  with  warm-colored  buildings.  My  first 
shock  came  when,  after  having  bathed  and  break 
fasted,  I  asked  the  concierge  of  the  hotel  to  direct 
me  to  the  American  Embassy.  He  did  not  know 
where  it  was.  He  could  show  me  to  the  American 
Consulate;  oh,  yes,  that  was  where  all  the  Amer 
icans  wanted  to  go,  but  the  Embassy — he  would 
have  to  look  that  up.  The  address  found,  I  sauntered 
forth  and  came,  after  a  walk  of  a  few  minutes,  to  a 
dignified  house  facing  a  place.  The  emblem  of  the 
U.  S.  A.  gave  me  a  real  thrill.  I  had  seen  it  often 
before  in  European  cities  but  it  had  not  meant  so 
much  to  me  as  it  does  now.  I  suppose  it  is  because  I 
now  consider  myself  more  closely  connected  with  it. 

14 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  15 

I  rang  the  bell  and  waited  several  minutes.  I 
looked  at  my  watch.  It  was  half-past  ten.  Then  I 
looked  at  the  brass  plate  to  one  side  of  the  door 
and  read:  "Hours  for  Visitors  from  11.30  A.M.  to 
i  P.  M."  So  I  was  ahead  of  time.  Nevertheless,  I 
rang  again  and  was  at  length  admitted  by  a  man  in 
uniform.  I  asked  in  English  for  Mr.  Dalton,  the 
Secretary.  The  man  shook  his  head.  I  tried 
French.  Again  the  man  shook  his  head.  Evidently 
he  only  speaks  the  language  of  the  country.  While 
I  waited,  undecided,  a  most  gorgeous  personage 
came  forward.  He  was  very  tall,  and  dressed  in  a 
sort  of  uniform  of  his  own  design,  I  fancy.  Light- 
blue  trousers  with  stripes  of  red  braid,  a  dark-blue 
coat  with  brass  buttons,  each  one  displaying  a 
goodly  sized  eagle,  and  a  collar  of  gold  braid.  Top 
ping  this  costume  was  a  very  florid  face,  immacu 
lately  brushed  hair,  and  the  most  splendid  mustache 
I  have  ever  seen.  It  grew  out  fiercely  on  both  sides 
and  then  lifted  abruptly  to  a  level  with  the  eyes. 
My  first  thought  was  that  the  King  was  calling 
incognito  at  the  Embassy. 

"This  is  the  American  Embassy,"  the  personage 
said  in  a  high  voice  and  with  an  accent  that  no  one 
could  ever  reproduce.  "You  probably  wish  to  go 
to  the  Consulate." 

"I  wish  to  do  nothing  of  the  sort,"  I  answered,  a 
little  angry  that  every  one  should  think  I  wanted 
to  go  to  the  Consulate.  "I  am  looking  for  Mr. 
Dalton." 

The  important  person  grew  a   shade  less  con- 


1 6  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

descending.      "Mr.    Dalton    will    not    come    until 
eleven  o'clock,  sir." 

"Then  I  shall  wait  for  him." 
"Very  well,  sir;  will  you  walk  this  way." 
With  squared  shoulders,  and  a  walk  that  would 
make  him  a  fortune  in  vaudeville,  he  led  me  to  what 
I  suppose  is  the  waiting-room.    With  a  formal  bow 
and   the   information   that   I   should   find   all   the 
American  papers  on  a  table,  he  left  me. 

The  room  was  large,  with  a  high  ceiling  deco 
rated  with  frescos  which  might  have  been  done  by  an 
Italian  painter  of  the  seventeenth  century.  Three 
large  windows,  open  to  the  floor,  gave  on  to  a  ter 
race.  Beyond  this  extended  a  formal  garden.  In 
the  distance  was  a  view  of  the  town  and  harbor  and 
rugged  mountains.  It  was  as  picturesque  a  setting 
as  one  could  wish.  Six  steel  engravings  of  Presi 
dents,  framed  in  mahogany,  a  large  print  of  the 
Capitol,  and  a  Houdon  bust  of  George  Washing 
ton,  gave  an  amusing  contrast  to  the  background. 
It  made  one  smile  at  the  ubiquity  of  our  influence. 
I  waited  a  half -hour.  Finally  I  picked  up  a  New 
York  paper  two  weeks  old  and  decided  to  go  out 
on  the  terrace  and  into  the  garden.  It  was  quite 
balmy  and  delightfully  cheery  in  the  sun.  A  stone 
bench  surrounded  by  ilex-trees  and  yet  still  in  the 
sun  offered  a  comfortable  seat.  I  sat  down,  lighted 
a  cigarette,  and  unfolded  the  paper. 

I  had  probably  been  there  five  minutes  when  I 
saw  a  woman  pass  hurriedly  along  a  path  a  little 
way  from  me.  At  first  glance  one  saw  that  she 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  17 

was  immensely  smart.  She  wore  a  long  fur  coat,  a 
toque  of  the  same  fur,  and  her  face,  though  covered 
with  a  veil  and  seen  only  for  a  moment,  was  de 
cidedly  handsome.  Indeed,  her  whole  appearance 
was  chic — perhaps  a  shade  too  much  so  to  be  en 
tirely  elegant. 

She  did  not  see  me.  While  I  was  wondering  who 
she  might  be,  I  heard  the  sound  of  footsteps  crunch 
ing  on  the  pebble  walk  and  saw  a  young  man  pass 
in  the  same  direction.  He  looked  about  thirty; 
was  tall,  thin,  and  very  carefully  dressed — ecru 
waistcoat  and  spats,  and  evidently  English-cut 
clothes. 

I  was  on  the  point  of  following  him  and  making 
myself  known  when  I  heard  a  burst  of  laughter 
from  the  shrubbery  back  of  me.  This  was  fol 
lowed  by  words  of  greeting  in  French.  They  were 
so  near  to  me  that  I  could  hear  them  distinctly, 
and  though  I  had  no  intention  of  playing  eaves 
dropper,  honesty  makes  me  confess  that  I  did  listen 
for  a  few  moments,  attracted  by  the  perfect  French 
and  the  delightfully  modulated  voice  of  the  woman. 

"Did  you  get  in  without  being  seen?"  came  the 
man's  voice,  a  bit  anxious,  I  thought. 

"Yes — only  the  lock  is  rusty.  I  don't  believe  you 
use  that  entrance  often!" 

"Of  course,  we  don't!  Why  should  we?  I'm 
frightfully  impatient  to  know  why  you  asked  me 
to  send  you  the  key.  There  is  no  reason  why  you 
should  not  have  come  in  at  the  front  door.  You've 
done  it  often  before." 


1 8  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

"Oh!  That  is  just  it!  I  have  done  it  too  often. 
Don't  you  see — I — a  jeune  fille — coming  to  the  Em 
bassy  alone !  It  creates  talk." 

This  was  met  with  a  roar  of  laughter.  "Jeune 
fille!  My  dear  Victoire ! " 

"Any  unmarried  woman  in  Europe  is  a  jeune 
fille"  came  the  reply,  in  a  voice  full  of  angry  re 
proof.  Then,  quickly:  "And  I  have  been  very  in 
discreet  to  come  this  way !  It  is  like  a  clandestine 
meeting!" 

"I  should  say  it  was  that.     Why  did  you  come?" 

"I  had  to  see  you.  It  was  important.  You 
must  help  me.  You  alone  are  able  to.  You  will— 
no  ?  Ah — say  you  will ! " 

The  voice  was  so  full  of  gentle  pleading  that  I 
felt  sure  any  request  that  might  follow,  no  matter 
how  impossible,  would  be  granted.  Imagine  my 
surprise  when  the  answer  came  in  a  most  matter-of- 
fact  and  questioning  tone. 

"That  depends." 

"Oh !  You  are  so  cruel !  I  do  not  find  you  sym 
pathetic  to-day.  You  make  me  regret  that  I  came." 

I  caught  the  sound  of  great  relief  in  the  reply: 
"Then  you  are  going?  It  probably  is  better.  We 
might  be  seen  here." 

A  choked  sob  or  two  broke  a  short  silence.  "Oh  ! 
To  treat  me  this  way !  After  all  your  protesta 
tions!" 

"Protestations!" 

"Yes — yes!  You  know  you  have  led  me  to  be 
lieve  that  you  loved  me!" 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  19 

"Extraordinary!     I!" 

"And  now,  when  I  need  help,  I  say  to  myself,  he 
will  help  me — he  will  do  all  in  his  power !  I  say  to 
myself — go  to  him  at  once !  Ah !" 

This  was  followed  by  an  uncontrolled  outburst  of 
sobbing. 

My  conscience  smote  me  so  at  this  moment  that 
I  got  up  and  changed  to  a  bench  farther  away  and 
quite  beyond  the  sound  of  their  voices.  I  should 
have  liked  to  have  gone  to  the  lady's  assistance;  for 
I  found  myself  growing  furious  with  the  cad.  He 
could  surely  be  nothing  else.  His  voice,  with  its 
assumed  English  accent,  showed  what  he  was  more 
plainly  than  the  words  he  had  used.  But  fate  was 
bent  upon  my  hearing  them  again.  For  some  reason 
I  could  not  fathom  they  changed  places,  too,  so  that 
I  again  heard  them  distinctly. 

Almost  directly  back  of  me  through  the  shrub 
bery  a  match  was  struck.  "Will  you  smoke,  Vic- 
toire?" 

She  must  have  assented,  for  a  second  match  was 
lighted. 

"Now,  ma  cherie,  we've  had  a  charming  little 
scene.  You've  indulged  your  temperament  to  your 
heart's  content — and  so,  let's  very,  very  calmly,  if 
you  can  bring  yourself  to  it,  get  at  the  gist  of  the 
matter.  What's  up?" 

Another  sob,  very  soft,  and  a  final  snifHe. 

"It's  Delphine — my  dressmaker.  She  is  a  beast! 
She  threatens  to  sue  me,  me,  Victoire,  Comtesse  de 
Stanlau!" 


20  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

This  was  followed  by  a  sound  as  if  some  one  had 
changed  position.  I'm  sure  the  cad  had  moved 
away  from  her.  His  following  words  convinced  me 
of  it. 

"A  question  of  money ! — and  you  come  to  me ! 
My  dear  Victoire — I  thought  you  were  clever!" 

"I  only  want  you  to  help  me  to  make  some 
money."  Then,  with  a  subtly  lowered  voice: 
"Honorably — of  course." 

"Of  course.     But  how?" 

"Your  new  Ambassador,  the  one  who  is  coming, 
he  is  very,  very  rich;  isn't  he?" 

"So  I've  heard;  but  one  never  is  sure  about 
money." 

"Oh,  but  I  know!  When  my  brother  was  Am 
bassador  at  Washington  he  heard  that  extraordi 
nary  story.  Mr.  Colborne  said  he  would  give  his 
daughter  twenty-five  million  francs  the  day  she 
married.  Mon  Dieu!  Quelle  dot!" 

I  gasped.  Walter  had  never  suggested  that  my 
chief  had  such  untold  gold  at  his  disposal. 

The  cad  yawned  audibly.  "We  often  do  things 
like  that  in  America." 

"And  Mrs.  Colborne  is  new  to  diplomacy!" 

"Alas— yes!" 

"  Good  !  Now,  do  you  see,  I  can  be  indispensable 
to  her.  I  can  tell  her  everything — what  to  do — 
whom  to  meet — whom  to  speak  to — the  people  to 
invite  to  dinner — the  ones  to  cut — everything, 
everything!  Une  excellente  idee,  rfest-ce-pas?" 

"Perhaps." 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  21 

"  I  will  do  all  this  for  a  certain  sum — agreed  upon 
in  the  strictest  intimacy  between  her  and  me.  Do 
you  see?" 

"Yes,  I  see.  Only — she  may  think  she  already 
knows  all  you  can  tell  her.  Some  American  women 
do,  you  know." 

1  Allans  done!  American  women  know  as  much 
about  diplomacy  as  that!"  This  accompanied  by 
an  expressive  snap  of  the  fingers.  Then,  once  more, 
the  irresistibly  pleading  voice:  "I  expect  you  to 
arrange  this  for  me,  mon  cher  ami.  You  must  tell 
her  of  the  prestige  of  my  family,  my  position  at 
Court,  my  brother's  great  intimacy  with  the  King. 
You  must  tell  her  that  I  can  make  her  the  most 
successful  ambassadress  that  America  has  ever 
produced." 

Another  short  silence,  punctuated  by  a  lighted 
match. 

"And  for  this  inestimable  service,  ma  chere  Vic- 
toire,  what  price  ?  " 

"Oh,  that  can  be  easily  arranged.  Perhaps,  let 
us  say,  a  thousand  francs  a  week.  It  is  a  mere 
bagatelle  compared  to  what  I  shall  do  for  her. 
When  does  she  arrive?" 

"To-morrow  morning." 

"Then  I  shall  come  to  the  Embassy  in  the  morn 
ing.  Perhaps  you  can  arrange  for  me  to  meet  her 
as  if  by  chance.  One  can  become  intimate  so  much 
more  easily  in  a  casual  encounter." 

The  sound  of  a  door  opening  and  shutting  came 
from  the  house. 


22  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 


u  i 


:  Sh-h !  You'd  better  go.  Quick !  Yes— by  the 
garden  gate!  I'll  look  for  you  to-morrow.  Au 
revoir." 

Just  as  the  sound  of  their  footsteps  died  away, 
the  important  uniformed  personage  came  up  to 
me  and  announced  that  Mr.  Dalton  had  arrived 
and  would  see  me  in  his  office. 

Dalton  is  a  man  of  about  forty,  good-looking, 
blond,  clean-shaven,  thoroughly  American  in  fea 
ture,  though  subtly  different  in  voice,  manner,  and 
dress.  He  has  evidently  got  the  best  out  of  Europe. 
This  shows  in  many  ways,  particularly,  I  think,  in 
a  simple,  quiet,  easy  manner  that  makes  for  charm. 
One  might  say  that  he  is  the  best  type  we  produce, 
softened  and  rubbed  down  in  the  way  that  life  in 
Europe  can  alone  accomplish. 

He  appeared  surprised  to  see  me  and  said  he  had 
just  received  a  telegram  from  the  Ambassador  an 
nouncing  his  arrival  for  the  following  day.  So  it 
appears  that  I  have  just  saved  my  reputation  by 
one  day. 

We  had  just  seated  ourselves  when  the  man  I 
had  caught  sight  of  in  the  garden  entered.  Dal 
ton  introduced  him.  It  was  Atkins. 

It  was  amusing  to  be  face  to  face  with  this  chap 
after  having  heard  his  part  in  what  might  be  termed 
an  intimate  interview.  My  impressions  received 
from  his  voice  deepened  with  a  view  of  the  man. 
I  at  once  put  him  down  as  a  prig — and  stupid. 

He  screwed  a  monocle  into  his  eye  and  looked  me 
over  as  if  I  were  a  prize  kangaroo  in  a  zoo. 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  23 

"So  you're  the  new  chief's  secretary — what? 
Tell  me  what  sort  of  an  old  dub  he  is." 

Dalton  frowned.  "Perhaps  he  doesn't  consider 
Mr.  Colborne  a  dub  at  all,"  he  suggested. 

"As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  don't."  I  tried  to  ignore 
Atkins  during  the  rest  of  the  conversation,  and  ad 
dressed  myself  only  to  Dalton. 

"Oh,  really!"  Atkins  went  on.  "But  I'm  sure 
you're  only  chaffing  us.  You're  trying  to  be  encour 
aging.  I'm  adamant  now:  I've  had  ten  chiefs. 
They  grow  steadily  worse.  They  say  a  Democratic 
administration  appoints  the  rarest  gems,  but  I 
can't  see  any  difference.  The  last  one  we  had 
could  not  only  not  speak  French — he  couldn't  speak 
English !  I  say — what !  Yet  French  is  the  diplo 
matic  language.  It's  astounding  how  our  am 
bassadors  get  through  their  four  years."  He  rattled 
on  as  if  we  were  gathered  together  solely  for  the 
purpose  of  listening  to  his  pronunciamenti. 

Dalton  watched  me  to  see  how  I  took  it.  He  has 
a  nice  quiet  way  of  sitting  back  in  his  chair  and 
playing  the  part  of  looker-on  and  listener.  He  does 
it  very  well  and  without  the  slightest  suggestion  of 
condescension. 

When  Atkins  had  finished,  he  smiled.  "Still, 
Atkins,  you  must  admit  that  in  comparison  with 
European  diplomatists  who  have  been  trained  for 
the  work  from  childhood,  the  American  succeeds 
extraordinarily  well.  We  appear  to  have  a  certain 
trick  of  falling  on  our  feet  in  every  situation." 

"Not   at   all!     You   are   quite   wrong,"    Atkins 


24  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

burst  out  impatiently.  "  Every  thing  a  crude  Amer 
ican  does  over  here  is  explained  with  a  shrug  and  an 
'Oh,  that's  American!'  I  don't  call  that  succeed 
ing!" 

Again  Dalton  smiled.  "It's  our  way  of  accom 
plishing  what  we  set  out  to  do.  It  appears  to  satisfy 
our  Congress." 

"Our  Congress  concerns  itself  just  about  as  much 
with  our  foreign  service  as  it  does  with  me.  What 
do  the  majority  of  Congressmen  know  about  Eu 
rope  ?  Not  a  damn  thing — and  they  care  even  less. 
Any  old  dub,  as  long  as  he  is  an  'honest-to-Gawd 
Amuricun,'  is  good  enough  to  represent  their 
country  in  this  benighted  land.  The  longer  I  live 
away  from  America,  the  more  I  get  the  idea  that 
Americans,  and  particularly  American  ambassadors, 
are  too  impossible  to  be  real." 

"Yet  you  are  willing  to  represent  America!"  I 
could  not  resist  putting  in. 

He  looked  at  me  quickly,  let  his  monocle  drop, 
and  lighted  a  cigarette.  I  can  hardly  wait  for  the 
Senator  to  get  hold  of  him !  I'm  sure  his  first 
move  will  be  to  pitch  him  straight  through  a  win 
dow. 

"My  representing  the  United  States" — he  said 
this  as  if  he  were  the  Ambassador  himself — "is  a 
mere  matter  of  chance.  I  have  an  aunt.  Did  you 
ever  have  one  ?  Extraordinary  creatures,  aunts ! 
Mine  in  particular!"  He  threw  himself  into  a 
chair,  sprawling  his  legs  out  before  him.  "She  once 
told  me,  with  her  characteristic  frankness,  that  she 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  25 

wanted  the  social  prestige  it  would  give  her  to  say: 
'  My  nephew,  Secretary  of  our  Embassy,  you  know, 
at  Vienna,  Rome,  London ' !  Do  you  see  ?  Possess 
ing  the  wherewithal  of  the  family,  you  can  readily 
see  that  it  was  diplomatic  of  me  to  aid  her  in  her 
social  ambitions.  So — here  I  am."  He  got  up, 
stretched  himself,  and  dug  his  hands  deep  into  his 
trouser  pockets.  "After  all,  it's  a  gentleman's 
vocation.  On  the  whole,  I  feel  I'm  being  quite 
patriotic  in  doing  this.  I'm  helping,  at  least,  to 
obliterate  the  impressions  left  by  most  of  our  com 
patriots." 

Dalton  shot  me  a  lenient  smile. 
"Are  you  quite  sure,"  he  said  to  Atkins,  "that 
you  are  giving  a  correct  impression — one  that  is 
sincerely  characteristic  of  the  greatest  republic  in 
the  world?" 

Atkins  laughed  boisterously.  "Right  you  are, 
old  chap !  Perhaps  it  isn't  a  correct  impression— 
but  you  must  admit  that  it  is  a  flattering  one." 

He  moved  toward  the  window.  Dalton  and  I 
faced  each  other  through  a  short,  meaning  silence. 
Finally  he  leaned  toward  me. 

"I  should  be  very  glad  to  hear  something  about 
Mr.  Colborne,"  he  said  quietly.  "You  can  imagine 
how  interested  we  are  to  know  what  he  is  like.  We 
haven't  had  a  chief  for  six  months.  The  last 
one- 
Atkins  held  up  both  hands.  "Dalton — for  God's 
sake !  Let's  try  to  forget  that.  Go  on  about  Col- 
borne." 


26  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

I  gave  them  a  short  description  of  the  Senator. 

"He  sounds  rather  encouraging,"  Atkins  com 
mented.  "How  about  the  family?" 

"I  have  not  seen  his  wife  and  daughter." 

Atkins  sank  down  in  a  chair.  "Of  course  they're 
bound  to  be  hopeless!  ..." 

This  afternoon  Dalton  came  for  me  in  his  motor 
and  we  drove  about  the  town  and  out  along  the  sea 
to  a  delightful  little  resort  where  we  had  tea.  It 
was  closed  for  the  winter  season,  but  appeared  very 
promising  as  a  summer  place.  We  returned  rather 
late,  so  that  I  went  directly  to  Dalton's  house  to 
dine  with  him.  He  spoke  very  frankly  to  me  about 
the  work  of  the  Embassy,  told  me  a  good  many  in 
teresting  details,  and  in  such  a  way  that  I  feel  I 
shall  not  find  my  work  difficult  as  long  as  I  have  him 
to  go  to  for  advice.  He  has  been  in  the  service 
fifteen  years;  and  has  been  en  paste  at  Vienna,  Pet- 
rograd,  Paris,  and  Tokio.  I  find  him  thoroughly 
sympathetic  and  responsive. 

When  I  reached  the  hotel  at  eleven  o'clock  the 
concierge  met  me  with  a  profound  bow. 
"His  Excellency  arrived  this  afternoon." 
"  What ! "  I  gasped.    "  Mr.  Colborne  ?  " 
"Yes,  sir.    He  left  this  note  for  you." 
I  tore  it  open  and  found  a  few  words  written  on  a 
visiting-card.    "Just  arrived,"  it  ran.    "Will  see  you 
in  the  morning  at  the  Embassy.    Mum's  the  word !" 
"What  time  did  he  arrive?"  I  asked. 
"About  four  o'clock,  sir." 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  27 

"Four  o'clock!  What  did  he  do  all  this  after 
noon?" 

"I  don't  know,  sir.  He  went  out  alone,  sir,  on 
foot." 


Ill 

November  12,  19 — . 

THE  Colbornes  have  arrived.  That  is  the  most 
important  thing.  After  that — many  others.  But 
I  am  going  too  fast. 

The  morning  of  my  second  day  en  poste,  I  arose 
early,  took  a  walk  about  the  town,  and  finally  reached 
the  Embassy  about  ten  o'clock.  The  same  impor 
tant  personage  met  me  in  the  hall,  and  treated  me 
this  time  with  distinguished  consideration.  He  has 
found  out  who  I  am,  and  I  have  found  out  who  he 
is.  He  calls  himself  the  chasseur  of  the  Embassy, 
which  only  means  that  he  is  a  sort  of  glorified  hall- 
boy. 

He  conducted  me  with  a  great  deal  of  manner 
straight  into  Atkins's  room. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,"  I  said.  "I  did  not  ask  for 
you." 

Atkins  lay  stretched  out  on  a  sofa,  in  one  hand  a 
cigarette,  in  the  other  a  French  novel.  He  looked 
up  at  my  entrance,  put  aside  the  book,  and  yawned. 

"  Come  in  and  sit  down.  I  came  early  to  see  the 
new  chief,"  he  said,  yawning  again.  "Haven't  been 
up  so  early  since  I  can  remember.  Have  a  ciga 
rette?" 

I  lighted  one  of  my  own,  wondering  if  I  could 
wait  for  the  Ambassador  to  arrive  and  throw  At- 

28 


2Q 

kins  out  of  the  window.  Otherwise,  I  should  have 
to  do  it  myself. 

Arturo,  the  glorified  hall-boy,  interrupted  before 
I  had  done  anything  desperate.  He  knocked  at  the 
door,  entered,  and  stood  in  the  centre  of  the  room. 
After  a  very  low  bow,  he  spoke  to  Atkins:  "A  lady, 
sir." 

"What  sort  of  a  lady,  Arturo?" 

Before  answering,  Arturo  went  to  a  table,  picked 
up  an  ash-receiver,  placed  it  on  a  low  chair,  and 
pushed  it  up  beside  Atkins.  His  tidiness  is  quite 
commendable.  Atkins  had  been  dropping  ashes  all 
over  the  carpet. 

"An  American  lady,  sir."  Arturo  resumed  his 
formal  position  in  the  centre  of  the  room. 

"An  American!     Why  so  sure?" 

Arturo  glanced  at  me  and,  debating  a  moment, 
took  refuge  in  violently  twisting  his  mustaches. 
"If  you  will  pardon  me,  sir,"  he  said  at  last. 

"I'll  pardon  you  anything,  Arturo.  I  find  you 
such  a  sympathetic  person.  Why  is  the  lady  un 
mistakably  American?" 

"Because,  sir,  she  is  so  sure  of  herself." 

Atkins  lighted  a  cigarette  from  the  one  he  had 
been  smoking.  "You  find  us  so  sure  of  ourselves, 
Arturo?" 

"American  ladies  are,  yes,  sir."  Then,  with  a 
movement  toward  the  door:  "Shall  I  fetch  her  in 
here?" 

Again  Atkins  yawned.  "I  suppose  you'll  have 
to."  He  looked  at  his  wrist- watch  and  then  at  me. 


30  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

"It's  only  half -past  ten — an  unheard-of  hour  to 
come  to  an  embassy.  I  wonder  if  you  Americans 
will  ever  learn  to  sleep  in  the  morning !" 

I  suppose  I'll  have  to  admit  that,  in  a  way,  Atkins 
is  amusing.  His  pose  is  so  consistent  that  it  im 
presses  one  as  sincere.  Indeed,  it  may  be  sincere. 
He  suggested  that  I  stop  on  in  his  room  while  he 
received  the  unmistakably  American  lady.  I  did, 
curious  to  see  how  he  would  receive  her,  and  hoping 
to  have  some  experience  in  the  handling  of  embassy 
questions. 

The  lady  was  ushered  in  by  Arturo.  Her  advance 
into  the  room  was  energetic,  accentuated  by  the 
firm  planting  of  common-sense  shoes.  For  costume 
she  wore  an  alpaca  suit  which  hinted  of  bargain- 
counters.  In  one  hand  was  a  large  shopping-bag, 
in  the  other  an  umbrella  and  a  Baedeker;  on  her 
meagre  bosom  was  pinned  a  gold  watch — probably 
an  heirloom.  A  voluminous  green  veil,  shrouding  a 
hat,  hung  down  to  her  waist  in  the  back.  Her 
face,  strongly  marked  and  determined,  gave  her 
the  air  of  one  who  meant  to  get  the  best  value  for 
her  money — and  not  to  be  cheated  about  it  either. 
Arturo  was  right.  She  could  have  been  produced 
in  no  other  country  under  the  sun  than  America. 

She  walked  straight  up  to  Atkins.  "Are  you  the 
American  Consul?"  she  asked,  without  any  pre 
liminary  greeting;  pronouncing  it  "Counsel"  and 
introducing  into  it  somehow,  with  the  unmistakable 
gusto  of  the  Middle  West,  a  rolling,  resonant  r . 

"Heaven  forbid!"  Atkins  replied  solemnly. 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  31 

"I  was  told  at  my  pension  that  I  should  find  him 
here,"  she  said,  finality  in  each  word.  "There's  a 
lady  from  home  staying  there,  and  she  said 

"You  were  misinformed,"  said  Atkins,  cutting 
her  short.  "This  is  the  American  Embassy." 

At  this  the  lady  sat  down.  "Well,  what's  the 
difference?"  she  inquired  sharply. 

"Between  a  consulate  and  an  embassy?"  At 
kins  looked  at  her  with  amused  superiority.  "All 
the  difference  in  the  world !  A  consulate  deals 
with  tiresome,  middle-class,  commercial  affairs;  an 
embassy  concerns  itself  only  with  the  Royal  Family, 
the  Court,  the  nobility." 

The  lady  viewed  him  through  rising  anger.  "  You 
say  commerce  is  commonplace?"  Her  voice  and 
expression  grew  florid.  "You  don't  know  what 
you're  talking  about!  My  father,  Hannibal  T. 
Baxter,  was  in  commerce  all  his  life.  You  ask  any 
body  from  Kansas  City  if  he  was  commonplace ! 
Baxter  and  Durkin,  that  was  the  firm;  retail  grocery 
— and  two  of  the  finest  gentlemen  I  ever  met !" 

Atkins  looked  at  her  with  silent  scorn. 

Finally  she  rose.  "Well,  as  I'm  not  royalty  or 
nobility"  she  said  this  with  rather  effective  sar 
casm,  "I  guess  I'll  go  to  the  Counsel.  He'll  give 
me  my  passport;  and  I  guess  he  won't  put  on  so 
many  foreign  airs  either.  The  lady  at  our  pension 
said- 

"Oh,  if  you  want  a  passport,"  said  Atkins,  sup 
pressing  a  yawn,  "this  is  the  place  to  get  it.  Sit 
down,  please." 


32  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

She  defiantly  resumed  her  seat.  Atkins,  at  his 
desk,  opened  a  drawer,  pulled  out  several  large, 
important-looking  sheets  of  blue  paper,  and  spread 
them  out  before  him.  With  pen  poised  he  turned 
toward  the  lady. 

"What  is  your  name?"  he  asked  in  a  languid 
voice. 

"Mary  Brown  Baxter." 

"When  were  you  born?"  he  continued,  dipping 
his  pen  in  the  ink. 

"Do  you  have  to  put  that  down?" 

Atkins  shot  her  a  glance  so  full  of  exasperation 
that  she  answered  hurriedly,  all  in  one  breath: 
"  Marchfirsteighteenseventy." 

"Married?" 

"Is  that  necessary?" 

"It's  considered  more  correct." 

She  actually  flushed.  "No,  I'm  not  married,  nor 
anything  of  the  kind!"  she  snapped. 

The  passport  filled  up,  Atkins  leaned  forward  over 
his  desk  and  scrutinized  Miss  Baxter's  face  in 
silence.  He  then  jotted  down  notes  on  the  sheets 
of  blue  paper,  glancing  up  at  her  from  time  to  time. 

Miss  Baxter  grew  restless  under  his  cool  eyes. 
"What  are  you  doing?"  she  finally  asked,  evidently 
unable  to  remain  any  longer  in  doubt. 

"Describing  your  personal  appearance.  And 
before  I  give  you  the  passport  I  must  have  a  pho 
tograph  of  you  to  paste  on  it." 

Miss  Baxter  bridled.  "I  never  have  my  picture 
taken." 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  33 

"Well,  you'll  have  to  now.  And  please  have  it 
coincide  with  this  description." 

"Read  me  the  description,"  she  said,  compla 
cently  leaning  back  in  her  chair. 

Atkins  rose  and  leaned  against  the  desk.  He 
glanced  at  me  and  half  smiled.  Then,  picking  up 
the  sheets  of  blue  paper,  he  read:  "Name:  Mary 
Brown  Baxter.  Age:  Forty-three."  He  stopped 
abruptly  and  again  glanced  at  me. 

"  Is  that  all  ?  "  asked  Miss  Baxter,  this  time  frankly 
impatient. 

Atkins  smiled  agreeably  at  her.  "You  said  it 
was." 

She  frowned.  "I  referred  to  the  description,"  she 
said  majestically. 

"Oh,  there's  lots  more  of  that.  Stature:  Five 
feet  eight  inches.  Forehead:  Low.  Eyes:  Virginal. 
Nose:  Inquisitive.  Mouth:  Determined.  Chin: 
Commanding.  Hair:  Pale  and  thin.  Complexion: 
Etiolated." 

Miss  Baxter  fairly  sprang  from  her  chair.  The 
whole  room  throbbed  with  her  fury.  "Where's  the 
Ambassador?"  she  cried.  "I  want  to  see  him  right 
now.  I'll  tell  him  how  his  office  man  insulted 
me!" 

Atkins  gave  a  short  laugh,  thoroughly  calm. 
"The  Ambassador  hasn't  arrived  yet.  And,  by  the 
way,  Miss-er — Baxter,  I'm  not  his  office  man:  I'm 
the  second  Secretary  of  this  Embassy." 

"Well,  office  man,  or  secretary,  or  stenographer, 
it's  all  the  same  to  me.  You're  the  rudest  man  I 


34  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

ever  met!"  Her  eyes  blazed;  and,  marching  up  to 
his  desk,  she  seized  the  blue  papers  out  of  his  hand 
and  tore  them  into  bits.  Then,  without  glancing 
at  him,  she  stalked  to  the  door — and  straight  into 
Dalton's  arms. 

Dalton's  face  was  ludicrous  in  its  amazement. 
He  had  been  nearly  knocked  off  his  feet  by  the  im 
pact — for  Miss  Baxter  was  solidly  built  and  moving 
rapidly. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  said  courteously.  "I 
hope  I  did  not  hurt  you?" 

His  graceful  manner  appeared  to  soothe  Miss 
Baxter  at  once.  She  viewed  him  through  several 
moments  with  relaxing  muscles. 

"Are  you  the  Ambassador?"  she  asked,  her  voice 
suddenly  mild.. 

"No,  I'm  only  Charge  d'Affaires,"  Dalton  said, 
smiling  pleasantly. 

"  Charge  d'Affaires !    What's  that  ?  " 

"It  means  that  I  am  in  charge  of  the  Embassy 
until  the  Ambassador  arrives."  Dalton's  glance 
for  the  first  time  swept  beyond  Miss  Baxter  to  At 
kins  and  me.  For  a  second  his  eyelids  moved.  It 
was  the  only  sign  he  gave  of  appreciating  the  situa 
tion. 

"This  lady  wanted  a  passport,"  said  Atkins. 
"But  she  wasn't  satisfied  with  the  one  I  gave  her." 

"Your  stenographer  insulted  me!"  said  Miss 
Baxter,  all  her  sense  of  injury  returning  with  a 
rush.  "He  said  my  complexion  looked  as  if  I  took 
ether!  He  said " 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  35 

"Please  sit  down,"  interrupted  Dalton  soothingly. 
"I'll  see  that  you  get  a  proper  passport  at  once." 

Again  Miss  Baxter  fell  under  the  charm  of  his 
gracious  personality.  She  sat  down  and,  ignoring 
Atkins,  addressed  herself  to  Dalton.  "When  does 
the  Ambassador  arrive?" 

"We  expect  him  to-day.  He  has  just  arrived 
from  America." 

"From  Kansas,  you  should  say,"  Atkins  mur 
mured,  with  a  very  frank  note  of  derision. 

Miss  Baxter  glared  at  him  for  a  second,  then 
turned  back  to  Dalton.  "If  he's  from  Kansas  I'll 
come  around  this  afternoon  to  welcome  him.  I 
want  to  tell  him  that  I  am  located  here  for  the 
winter,  and  I  just  know  he'll  make  it  real  pleasant 
for  me.  I'm  fond  of  going  into  society,  and  as  your 
stenographer" — with  another  glare  at  Atkins— 
"tells  me  the  Ambassador  will  be  real  intimate  with 
the  King  and  Queen,  I  think  I'll  get  him  to  present 
me.  I  don't  know  what  the  ladies  in  Kansas  City 
would  say  if  I  went  home  without  having  met  the 
King  and  Queen!" 

"Of  course,"  Atkins  put  in  impatiently,  "you 
know  we  only  present  Americans  of  distinction  at 
Court." 

Miss  Baxter  was  on  the  defensive  at  once.  "  What, 
pray,  do  you  call  'Americans  of  distinction'?" 

She  looked  at  Dalton  for  an  answer.  The  ques 
tion  was  too  much  even  for  him.  He  sought  safety 
by  ignoring  it. 

"Don't  you  think,  possibly,  it  would  be  better 


36  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

to  give  him  a  day  to  rest?"  Dalton  had  not  yet 
shown  the  slightest  evidence  of  impatience.  "  Could 
you  wait  until  to-morrow?  I  suppose  you  have  a 
letter  to  the  Ambassador?" 

"  A  letter  ?  Why,  no.  That  wouldn't  be  necessary 
when  he's  from  my  home  State.  You  tell  him  I'm 
here,  and  that  I'm  real  comfortably  fixed  in  a  pen 
sion  where  I  pay  one  dollar  sixty  a  day.  That's 
not  too  much,  is  it?" 

"Not  if  you  like  it." 

"I'm  crazy  about  it.  There  are  so  many  pleas 
ant  ladies  staying  there."  Miss  Baxter  was  fairly 
beaming  now.  "At  present,"  she  continued,  "I 
want  to  find  a  good  dressmaker  to  make  me  over 
some  things.  Perhaps  you  could  tell  me  of  one?" 

Dalton  turned  swiftly  to  us.  "I'm  sure  Mr. 
Atkins  could  give  you  some  addresses." 

"The  American  Embassy  is  not  an  information 
bureau!"  Atkins  answered,  lighting  a  cigarette. 

If  glances  could  kill,  Atkins  would  have  dropped 
dead  on  the  spot.  But  Dalton's  quiet  voice  broke 
in  before  Miss  Baxter  could  speak.  "I  will  send  you 
some  addresses  to-morrow,"  he  said.  "I  hope  you 
will  enjoy  your  season  here  very  much.  If  you  are 
ever  homesick,  remember  that  this  is  American 
soil." 

" American  soil !    How's  that?" 

"Wherever  an  Ambassador  lives  becomes  actually 
a  part  of  his  country." 

Dalton  opened  the  door  and  stood  there  waiting 
to  see  her  out.  Suddenly  Atkins  came  across  the 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  37 

room  and  up  to  Miss  Baxter.  He  was  smiling 
broadly. 

"Another  very  important  thing  you  should  know 
is " 

"What?" 

"That,  if  by  any  chance  you  happened  to  become 
a  mother  in  this  building,  the  child  would  be  a 
native-born  American." 

She  swept  us  all  with  a  scorching  glance,  and 
marched,  this  time  successfully,  out  of  the  room.  .  .  . 

I  have  jotted  down  this  scene  in  detail,  not  so 
much  to  show  what  happened  my  first  morning  in 
an  embassy,  as  to  impress  upon  myself  the  necessity 
—more  than  that — the  advantages,  of  courtesy. 
Dalton,  through  patience  and  politeness,  has  made 
a  friend  of  Miss  Baxter,  I'm  sure.  No  matter  how 
impossible  she  may  be,  and  perhaps  just  on  that 
account,  she  will  sing  his  praises  all  over  her  world. 
I'm  equally  sure  she  will  never  cease  to  damn 
Atkins. 

When  she  was  gone  Dalton  crossed  to  a  window 
and  drew  a  long  breath. 

"Dalton,  you  make  me  tired!"  Atkins  cried. 
"That  woman  is  impossibly  vulgar.  To  be  decent 
to  her  lowers  the  dignity  of  the  Embassy.  Now, 
just  for  your  pains,  she'll  be  coming  here  every  day. 
Next  time — she'll  be  asking  for  a  recipe  for  angel- 
cake!" 

"She's  an  American;  and  we  are  here  for  the  pur 
pose  of  being  polite  to  them,"  Dalton  answered,  his 
back  to  the  room.  Then,  turning  toward  me  and 


38  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

giving  me  a  look  that  explained  that  the  following 
words  were  not  expressive  of  his  sentiments,  but 
were  meant  to  influence  Atkins,  he  said:  "Besides, 
you  must  remember  that  we  hold  our  jobs  by  and 
with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the  Senate  of  the 
United  States  of  America." 

"What's  that  got  to  do  with  it?" 

"You  never  can  tell.  Miss  Baxter  may  have  a 
senator  concealed  somewhere  in  her  family." 


IV 

November  14,  19 — . 

Miss  BAXTER  safely  out  of  the  way,  for  the  pres 
ent  at  least,  Dalton  looked  at  his  watch.  It  was 
time  for  him  to  go  to  the  station  to  meet  the  Am 
bassador,  and  while  he  waited,  asking  a  few  ques 
tions  of  Atkins  and  ringing  for  Arturo,  I  came  very 
near  to  telling  him  that  the  Ambassador  had  arrived 
the  day  before.  However,  I  did  not;  for  which  I 
shall  always  be  thankful. 

When  Arturo  entered,  Dalton  asked  him  if  every 
thing  were  in  readiness  for  the  Ambassador  and  his 
family.  It  appears  that  the  house  is  used  both  as 
chancery  and  residence.  I  have  only  seen  the  three 
or  four  rooms  to  the  right  of  the  entrance  which 
serve  for  offices.  Dalton  tells  me  the  rest  of  the 
house  and  the  second-floor  apartments  are  quite 
handsome  and  comfortable.  It  was  rented  by  the 
former  Ambassador,  and  as  the  lease  has  not  yet 
expired,  has  been  retained,  awaiting  the  approval 
or  disapproval  of  Mr.  Colborne. 

"Yes,  sir,  everything  is  ready,"  Arturo  answered. 
"His  Excellency  could  move  in  to-day  if  he  wished 
to.  I've  engaged  all  the  servants.  Here  is  the  list, 
sir." 

Dalton  looked  over  the  list  and  ended  with  a  low 
whistle. 

"Twenty-five!" 

39 


40  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

Arturo's  expression  showed,  not  only  wounded 
pride  that  Dalton  should  question  the  number,  but 
real  surprise  that  any  decision  of  his  was  not  ac 
cepted  at  once. 

"You  ought  to  know,  sir,  with  your  experience, 
that  an  embassy  can't  be  run  with  less  than  twenty- 
five  servants;  that  is,  sir,  if  it  is  to  be  run  properly." 
He  began  pompously  enumerating  the  list:  "There's 
the  maitre  (Thotel — the  groom  of  the  chambers — 
two  butlers — six  footmen — the  chef  and  three  as 
sistants — the  housekeeper  and  four  maids — the 
lingere — the  window-washer — the  floor-cleaner — the 
two  gardeners.  I  am  expecting  his  Excellency  to 
bring  his  own  valet  and  the  ladies  their  maids." 

Dalton  looked  at  the  list  thoughtfully.  Arturo 
came  a  little  nearer  and  lowered  his  voice. 

"If  you  don't  mind  my  making  a  suggestion,  sir, 
it  wouldn't  be  amiss  if  you'd  let  him  know  from  the 
start  that  this  Embassy  can't  be  kept  up  correctly 
on  a  cheap  scale.  You  remember,  sir,  the  last  Am 
bassador.  I've  never  been  so  mortified  in  my  whole 
career!" 

The  seriousness  of  Arturo's  face  robbed  the 
words  of  any  objectionable  quality.  He  was  deeply 
interested  in  having  his  Embassy  keep  up  with  the 
others,  and  quite  naturally.  It  is  his  career,  as  he 
expressed  it,  to  see  that  it  is  run  well,  and  if  he  fails, 
his  reputation  suffers. 

"I'll  show  the  Ambassador  your  list,  Arturo," 
Dalton  replied.  "He  probably  has  his  own  ideas 
about  running  the  Embassy." 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  41 

"But  if  he's  new  to  diplomacy,  sir— 

"He  is  new  to  it." 

Arturo  drew  himself  up  to  his  full  height.  "Well, 
sir,  I'm  not !  I've  been  in  diplomacy  twenty-five 
years — and  I  know  what  ought  to  be  done  ..." 

Left  alone  with  Atkins,  I  wandered  out  to  the 
reception-room  and  awaited  the  arrival  of  the  Am 
bassador.  What  his  object  was  in  coming  a  day 
ahead  of  time,  I  had  not  yet  decided;  unless  he  wanted 
to  arrive  and  see  something  of  the  place  before  he 
was  known. 

While  I  was  looking  over  some  papers,  Arturo 
showed  in  the  lady  I  had  seen  the  day  before  in  the 
garden.  She  gave  me  a  quick  glance  of  inspection, 
then  turned  to  Arturo  and  asked  for  Atkins.  When 
he  had  bowed  himself  out,  the  lady  threw  me  an 
other  quick  glance.  My  impression  of  her  yester 
day  was  correct.  She  is  immensely  smart,  exag 
gerated,  of  course,  but  smartness  to-day  appears  to 
depend  upon  discreet  exaggeration.  She  looked 
about  the  room,  selected  the  most  effective  chair, 
and  sank  into  it  with  studied  grace.  With  her  elbow 
resting  on  the  arm  of  the  chair  and  her  chin  sup 
ported  in  the  palm  of  her  hand,  she  assumed  a  wist 
fully  pensive  attitude.  Once  or  twice,  while  waiting, 
she  permitted  a  very  slight,  barely  audible  sigh  to 
escape  her.  It  was  not  so  much  a  sigh  of  impatience 
as  one  of  a  certain  ennui  which  might  be  conquered 
if  the  right  person  came  along.  When  Atkins  en 
tered  she  held  out  her  left  hand,  very  languidly , 
and  permitted  him  to  kiss  it. 


42  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

"Mon  cher  ami.    Me  void!" 

Atkins  threw  me  a  quick  glance.  "My  dear 
Comtesse,  I  want  to  present  to  you  our  new  Am 
bassador's  private  secretary."  He  signalled  me. 

I  rose,  crossed  the  room,  and  also  kissed  the  limp 
left  hand.  It  was  gloved  and  strongly  scented. 

She  said  nothing  in  acknowledging  the  introduc 
tion,  only  smiled  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  words 
quite  unnecessary.  She  has  all  that  subtlety  of  the 
European  woman  which  makes  a  mere  introduction 
an  event.  It  is  a  very  difficult  thing  to  describe. 
I've  tried  to  and  failed.  The  nearest  approach  to 
explaining  it  is  to  quote  what  I  once  heard  a  man 
say:  "When  you  meet  a  woman  in  Europe,  she  gives 
you  the  impression  at  once  that  there  may  possibly 
be  a  chance,  if  the  opportunity  arises,  of  a  very 
deep,  sympathetic  relation  developing  between  you. 
It  is  all  done  with  a  trick  of  the  eyes,  a  quick  lower 
ing  of  the  lids,  a  suppressed  lingering  smile — any 
thing  but  words.  You  feel  it  at  once  and  you  are 
immensely  flattered  by  it;  and  you  begin  to  think 
of  yourself  as  having  underestimated  your  possi 
bilities.  It  is  a  very  subtle  form  of  flattery  and  a 
vastly  effective  one." 

While  I  was  experiencing  some  such  sensation, 
Arturo  entered  the  room.  He  seems  always  to  be 
coming  in ! 

"A  gentleman,  sir,"  he  said  to  Atkins. 

I  looked  up  interested,  feeling  sure  it  was  the 
Ambassador.  Atkins  appeared  irritated  at  the 
interruption. 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  43 

"I  won't  see  any  one,"  he  said.    "I'm  occupied." 

"If  you  will  pardon  me,  sir— 

"Goon!" 

"I  think  you  had  better  see  him,  sir.  He  is  look 
ing  all  over  the  place.  I  think  he  might  give  some 
trouble,  sir,  if  you  don't  see  him." 

I  was  sure  now  that  it  was  John  T. 

"American?"  Atkins  asked;  and  Arturo's  reply 
was  most  convincing. 

"Yes,  sir." 

Comtesse  de  Stanlau  rose.  "Yes,  man  ami,  do 
see  him.  Perhaps,"  turning  to  me,  "we  could  wait 
in  the  garden  until  he  is  finished?" 

"No!  Stay — both  of  you,"  Atkins  exclaimed, 
as  we  moved  toward  the  door.  "I'll  get  rid  of  him 
all  the  quicker  if  you  are  here.  People  think  this 
Embassy  is  for  no  other  purpose  than  their  con 
venience!"  Then  to  Arturo:  "Fetch  him  in." 

The  Comtesse  sank  down  in  a  chair  and  let  a 
little  bored  sigh  escape  her.  As  if  to  while  away  a 
few  tiresome  minutes,  she  drew  a  tiny  mirror, 
powder-puff,  and  rouge  stick  from  her  gold  purse 
and  began  examining  her  face  and  adding  a  touch 
of  powder  and  rouge  where  she  found  it  wanting. 
Atkins  offered  her  a  cigarette,  which  she  took,  and 
permitted  him  to  light  without  its  interrupting  her 
toilet.  Afterward,  he  offered  me  one,  and  lighted 
a  third  for  himself.  This  was  the  scene  that  the 
Ambassador  walked  in  upon. 

I  think  I  was  the  first  to  see  him,  and  immediately 
received  a  glance  from  him  which  kept  me  standing 


44  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

still  and  silent,  instead  of  rushing  forward  to  greet 
him  as  I  was  on  the  point  of  doing.  He  took  in  the 
room  with  one  comprehensive  glance;  then  his  eyes 
fell  and  remained  on  Comtesse  de  Stanlau.  She 
had  barely  looked  at  him  and  continued  accentuat 
ing  the  red  line  of  her  lips. 

Finally  the  Ambassador  turned  to  Arturo,  who 
had  followed  him  into  the  room.  "I  thought  you 
said  this  was  the  American  Embassy?" 

"It  is  the  American  Embassy,"  Arturo  replied  in 
his  most  pompous  manner. 

The  Ambassador  swung  about  and  faced  Atkins. 
"Good  morning,"  he  said,  with  a  nod. 

Atkins  bowed  coldly.  The  Ambassador  shot  me  a 
glance  full  of  the  jolly  twinkle  I  had  remembered. 

"Right  nice  place  you've  got  here,"  he  continued, 
looking  about  the  room.  "Hello!"  He  stopped 
before  the  bust  of  Washington.  "There's  George 
Washington!  Hello,  George!"  He  smiled  with 
real  pleasure;  slipped  out  of  his  top  coat,  and  placed 
it,  with  his  hat  and  stick,  on  a  chair.  Arturo  came 
forward,  picked  them  up,  and  was  on  the  point  of 
carrying  them  into  the  hall  when  the  Ambassador 
called  to  him  to  stop.  "Hold  on  there!  Bring 
those  things  back !  I  lost  my  other  coat  in  Paris 
just  that  way." 

Arturo's  face  at  that  moment  was  the  perfection 
of  polite  contempt.  However,  the  coat  and  hat  were 
returned  to  the  chair. 

The  Ambassador  continued  looking  about  the 
room.  He  appeared  immensely  pleased  with  the 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  45 

portraits  of  the  Presidents.  Atkins  stood  it  for  a 
few  minutes  only. 

"You  have  probably  made  a  mistake,"  he  said 
very  coolly.  "The  National  Museum  is  in  the  next 
street." 

The  Ambassador  looked  at  him  and  actually 
smiled.  "Are  you  a  secretary  of  this  Embassy?"  he 
asked,  in  a  most  conciliatory  tone. 

"lam." 

"And  the  lady,"  he  lowered  his  voice  so  as  not 
to  be  heard  by  Comtesse  de  Stanlau,  "is  the  type 
writer,  I  suppose?" 

She,  all  this  time,  was  busily  occupied  with  the 
rouge  stick.  Atkins,  however,  exploded: 

"See  here!"  he  cried,  "if  there's  anything  you 
want 

Mr.  Colborne  sat  down  heavily.  He  was  serious 
now.  "  There's  a  lot  I  want.  Where's  Mr.  Dalton  ?  " 

"He  is  out!" 

"So  I  see.    I  asked  where  he  was." 

"He  has  gone  to  the  station  to  meet  the  Am 
bassador." 

Again  he  sent  me  a  meaning  glance. 

Comtesse  de  Stanlau  rose  languidly.  "I  think  I 
shall  go  into  the  garden,"  she  said  to  Atkins,  "until 
this  extraordinary  person  has  left." 

"No,  please  don't  go,"  the  Ambassador  said 
quickly.  He  felt  in  his  pockets  and  drew  out  a 
bundle  of  letters.  "I've  got  some  letters  I  want  to 
dictate  at  once,"  he  said  to  Atkins,  his  voice  again 
lowered.  "Is  she  pretty  lively  at  the  job?" 


46  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

Atkins  was  now  quite  beyond  control.  "  You  are 
talking  of  the  Comtesse  Victoire  de  Stanlau !  And 
I'd  like  you  to  explain  this  extraordinary  behavior ! 
You  act  as  if  you  owned  the  place.  Who  are  you, 
anyhow?" 

The  Ambassador  smiled  leniently  at  Atkins's 
fury.  "I'm  just  a  plain  American  citizen,"  he  said. 
Then  he  crossed  quickly  to  the  Comtesse  and  held 
out  his  hand.  She  looked  at  his  proffered  hand  and 
then  at  him.  With  a  haughty  shrug  she  turned 
toward  the  window.  The  Ambassador  watched  her, 
his  lips  still  a  little  smiling,  his  eyes  alive  with  the 
humor  of  the  situation.  When  the  Comtesse  was 
on  the  point  of  leaving  the  room  he  spoke: 

"Countess  Stanlau,"  he  said  reflectively.  "I 
knew  a  Count  Stanlau  in  Washington.  He  was  the 
Ambassador  from  this  country.  Any  kin  to  you, 
Countess  ?  " 

She  turned  back,  looked  at  him  again,  less  haugh 
tily  this  time,  and  finally  extended  her  hand.  "He 
is  my  brother." 

The  Ambassador  held  her  hand  and  looked  at  her 
through  several  moments  of  silence.  In  the  end  she 
gave  him  her  subtle  smile  and  he,  I  think,  came  up 
to  the  required  mark.  I  believe  he  knows  how  to 
carry  off  such  a  situation. 

"I'm  mighty  glad  to  know  you,  Countess.  Sit 
down."  He  made  much  of  pulling  a  chair  forward 
for  her,  and  drew  one  for  himself  close  to  hers. 
Sitting  down,  he  leaned  a  little  forward  and  looked 
at  her  admiringly.  "Now,  Countess,  tell  me  all 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  47 

about  your  brother.  They  say  he's  the  biggest  man 
in  this  country.  We  liked  him  a  lot  in  Washing 
ton." 

It  was  the  most  delightful  thing  to  see  his  quick 
change  of  manner  toward  her,  his  attentive  and 
considerate  pose,  his  words  which  were  meant,  and 
succeeded,  to  flatter  her  through  reference  to  her 
brother.  She  responded  more  quickly  than  I  had 
expected.  She  was  now  smiling  and  leaning  toward 
him  in  a  most  confidential  attitude. 

"You  are  very,  very  kind,"  she  said.  "I  expect 
my  brother  here  this  morning.  He  is  coming  to 
meet  the  new  Ambassador." 

"That's  good !    Then  I'll  see  him." 

This  appeared  too  much  for  Atkins.  I  think  he 
was  on  the  verge  of  attempting  violence  on  the  Am 
bassador,  and  possibly  would  have  done  something 
rash  if  we  had  not  been  interrupted  by  the  entrance 
of  Dalton.  He  came  in,  seemingly  a  little  perplexed, 
bowed  to  the  Comtesse,  and,  seeing  the  Ambassador, 
looked  at  Atkins  for  explanation. 

"Good  morning,  Comtesse,"  he  said.  Then  to 
Atkins  and  me:  "He  didn't  come.  I  suppose  he 
will  be  here  on  the  evening  train." 

By  this  time  the  Ambassador  had  risen  and  gone 
up  to  Dalton. 

"Are  you  Mr.  Dalton?"  he  asked. 

Dalton  assented. 

The  Ambassador's  hand  went  out.  "My  name's 
Colborne.  Glad  to  know  you." 

"The  Ambassador!'* 


48  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

"I  suppose,"  he  smiled  broadly,  "that's  what  I 
am  now." 

The  consternation  on  all  their  faces  was  interest 
ing  to  watch.  The  Comtesse's  expression  was  one  of 
intense  satisfaction.  I'm  sure  she  thought  she  had 
made  a  master-stroke.  Atkins's  face  was  almost 
pitiful  in  its  bewilderment  and  chagrin.  Dalton, 
with  nothing  to  disturb  him,  was  the  first  to  recover 
his  composure.  He  clasped  the  Ambassador's  hand 
cordially. 

"I'm  very  glad  to  see  you,  sir.  But  when  did  you 
arrive?" 

"Yesterday.  Took  a  notion  to  come  a  day  ahead. 
I  hate  all  the  fuss  of  people  meeting  me  at  the  sta 
tion.  Like  to  get  my  bearings  by  myself." 

Dalton  looked  at  the  others  and,  I  think,  realized 
for  the  first  time  that  they  had  been  talking  to  the 
Ambassador  without  knowing  who  he  was.  He 
hastened  to  present  the  Comtesse. 

"Countess  and  I  are  old  friends  now;  aren't  we, 
Countess?" 

"Indeed  we  are!"  was  the  ready  response,  ac 
companied  by  a  radiant  smile. 

"And  your  second  Secretary,  Mr.  Atkins," 
Dalton  continued.  "I  suppose  you  know  him, 
too?" 

"Oh,  yes,  I  know  him." 

Atkins  came  forward  and  extended  his  hand  with 
exaggerated  cordiality.  "Enchante" 

"What's  that?"  the  Ambassador  asked,  giving 
Atkins  his  quick  glance  of  inspection. 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  49 

"Oh — I  beg  your  pardon."  Atkins  permitted  his 
voice  to  show  ennui.  "  One  is  so  accustomed  to  speak 
ing  French— 

"Well — I'm  not.  No  parlez-vousing  around  me. 
I  speak  only  American  and  it's  good  enough  for  any 
body." 

Dalton  hastily  interrupted.  "  Have  Mrs.  Colborne 
and  your  daughter  come,  too?" 

"Yes.    They'll  be  around  after  while." 

"It  will  be  such  a  pleasure  to  meet  Mrs.  Col- 
borne,"  Comtesse  de  Stanlau  said.  "  And  my  brother 
has  told  me  so  much  of  your  daughter.  She  must  be 
ravissante" 

At  this  the  Ambassador's  eyes  softened.  I  think, 
in  watching  him  at  that  moment,  I  have  found  out 
that  his  daughter  probably  represents  the  gentler 
side  of  his  life.  His  expression,  even  his  voice,  when 
he  answered,  was  much  softer.  "If  that's  something 
nice,  it  fits  Kitty;  you  can  count  on  that." 

"I  shall  wait  in  the  garden  to  welcome  them," 
said  the  Comtesse.  "Of  course,  you  have  tremen 
dously  important  things  to  talk  over  with  your 
secretaries.  It  has  been  delightful  to  meet  you  so 
informally."  She  extended  her  hand.  The  Am 
bassador  shook  it  violently.  "Au  rewir." 

"Good-by,  Countess."  The  Ambassador  watched 
her  go  through  the  door,  accompanied  by  Dalton, 
who  held  it  open  for  her,  and  Atkins,  who  walked 
with  her  onto  the  terrace.  Then  he  turned  swiftly 
to  me.  "How  do  you  say  that?" 

"What,  sir?" 


50  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

"That  last  thing  she  said.  It  means  'see  you 
later.'  " 

"Oh — au  revoir." 

"Au  revoir.  That's  it.  Sounds  mighty  nice  when 
she  says  it.  Write  it  down  for  me.  Not  the  way 
it's  spelled — the  way  she  said  it.  I  must  try  to  get 
it  off  sometime.  It  would  please  my  wife  a  lot. 
Does  the  Countess  come  here  much?  Seemed 
mighty  at  home." 

I  told  him  I  had  seen  her  here  twice. 

"Do  you  like  her?" 

"I've  nothing  against  her." 

He  sniffed  his  hand  suddenly  and  made  a  wry  face. 
"Beware  of  foreign  women,  young  man.  Remember 
what  happened  to  Solomon!  Smell  that!"  He 
held  up  his  hand.  It  smelled  of  strong  muguet. 
"Mighty  suspicious — and  I  only  shook  hands  with 
her."  Then,  more  personally:  "How  are  you? 
Everything  all  right?  What  do  you  think  of 
them?" 

Before  I  could  answer,  Dalton  and  Atkins  had  re 
turned  to  the  room.  Dalton  suggested  that  the 
Ambassador  go  to  his  own  office,  and  led  the  way 
through  a  door  into  a  room  which  adjoined  the  one 
in  which  we  had  been  standing.  It  was  heavily 
furnished  with  red  Morocco  chairs,  mahogany  desk 
and  bookcases,  Smyrna  carpet,  and  dark-red  hang 
ings.  Framed  photographs  of  former  ambassadors 
were  hung  on  the  walls. 

The  Ambassador  went  straight  to  the  revolving 
chair  before  the  central  flat-topped  desk,  gave  it  a 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  51 

whirl,  and  sat  down.  He  stretched  his  legs  out 
before  him,  dug  his  hands  in  his  pockets,  leaned 
back,  and  sighed  comfortably. 

"I'll  bet  this  chair  came  from  the  U.  S.  A.,"  he 
said,  waving  us  to  seats  and  smiling  in  his  friendly, 
companionable  way. 

"Yes,  it  did,"  Dalton  replied. 

"I  knew  it.  Everything  good  does."  He  took  a 
cigar  case  from  his  pocket  and  offered  it.  Each  one 
shook  his  head  and  thanked  him.  "All  of  you  smoke 
cigarettes,  eh?  Suppose  I'll  come  to  it,  if  I  stay  in 
diplomacy  long  enough."  Dalton  struck  a  match 
and  held  it  for  him.  "Thank  you.  Well,  gentle 
men,"  he  took  a  long  puff  at  the  cigar  and  once  more 
looked  at  each  of  us  in  turn,  "here  I  am — Ambas 
sador  of  the  United  States  of  America.  Now — what 
have  I  got  to  do?" 

The  question  was  something  of  a  poser,  especially 
when  fired  at  one  with  the  Ambassador's  customary 
directness.  But  if  he  had  expected  to  embarrass 
Dalton,  he  was  disappointed.  After  a  moment  or 
two  of  silence  Dalton  replied:  "I  suppose  you  were 
given  instructions  by  the  State  Department?" 

"Not  a  damn  thing.  They  didn't  seem  to  have 
time  to  bother  with  me  and  I  didn't  have  time  to 
bother  with  them  All  they  told  me  was  to  get  on 
over  here  at  my  'most  leisurely  convenience,'  and 
that  you,  a  well-trained  man,  would  put  me  onto 
things.  So — let's  get  down  to  business.  Put  me 
next.  What's  the  first  thing  I  do?" 

Atkins  moved  restlessly.     The  Ambassador  saw 


52  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

the  movement  and  nodded  to  him.  "  What  have  you 
to  say  on  the  subject?" 

"I  was  only  hoping  that  you  had  thought  of 
ordering  your  visiting-cards." 

The  Ambassador  threw  back  his  head  and  roared. 
"That  the  most  important  thing  you  can  think  of !" 

Atkins  glared.  "It  is  important.  You  should 
have  at  least  five  thousand  to  begin  with." 

"I  suppose  you  hire  a  hack  and  distribute  them 
along  the  street!"  To  Dalton:  "What  have  you  to 
suggest?" 

"The  first  thing  an  ambassador  does  is  to  advise 
the  Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs  of  his  arrival:  then 
you  call  on  him  and  ask  for  an  audience  with  the 
King.  At  the  audience  you  present  your  letters 
of  credence,  the  King  welcomes  you,  and  you  make 
a  short  address  in  reply.  I  shall  announce  your  ar 
rival  to  the  Foreign  Office  this  morning." 

"You  needn't  do  that,"  the  Ambassador  smiled. 

"It  is  the  official  method,  sir." 

"It  won't  be  this  time.  I've  already  been  to  see 
him." 

"The  Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs!" 

"Yes — if  that's  what  you  call  him.  I  call  him 
Secretary  of  State."  He  leaned  back  and  crossed 
his  legs.  "I  was  loafing  round  town  yesterday  after 
noon,  passed  a  big  building,  asked  what  it  was;  fel 
low  told  me  it  was  the  Foreign  Office.  At  least 
that's  what  I  made  it  out  to  be — fellow  couldn't 
speak  any  American.  Anyhow,  I  thought  I'd  risk 
it,  and — I  fell  on  my  feet." 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  53 

Dalton's  disapproval  of  this  method  was  giving 
way  to  curiosity.  "But,  how  did  you  see  him?" 

The  Ambassador  drew  out  a  card-case  and,  select 
ing  a  card,  held  it  up.  "  One  of  those  five  thousand," 
he  nodded  to  Atkins.  "Just  sent  that  in."  He 
looked  at  the  card  and  read  aloud:  "The  American 
Ambassador.'  Just  sent  that  in  and  said  I  wanted 
to  see  the  Secretary  of  State.  Well,  I  saw  him. 
Now — we  know  each  other  without  a  whole  lot  of 
fuss  and  red  tape.  Nice  old  chap.  Had  a  long  chat 
with  him.  Just  like  anybody  else.  Knows  a  lot 
about  America.  Told  him  we  wanted  to  sell  him 
those  two  battleships  they  are  going  to  buy.  So, 
you  see,  we've  got  that  much  behind  us.  Now- 
after  I've  made  my  bow  to  the  King,  presented  my 
letters  of  credence,  and  got  rid  of  the  folderol  part 
of  the  job,  I  suppose  the  real  work  begins.  That's 
what  I  was  talking  about  when  I  asked  what  there 
was  to  do."  He  paused,  looked  at  us  all,  and 
broke  into  a  broad  smile.  "I  trust  my  question  is 
not  embarrassing." 

"It  is  a  bit  difficult  to  answer,"  Dalton  said, 
meeting  his  smile.  "An  ambassador,  as  you  know, 
is  not  so  important  as  he  was  fifty  years  ago." 

"That's  encouraging!    Why  not?" 

"Formerly  he  had  to  decide  questions  himself; 
now  he  cables  to  Washington  and  asks  for  instruc 
tions.  The  most  interesting  thing  he  can  do  to-day 
is  to  negotiate  a  treaty;  and  even  that  is  planned 
for  him  at  home." 

"Look  here,  Mr.  Dalton,"  the  Ambassador  let 


54  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

his  hand  fall  on  the  desk  with  a  bang;  his  eyes, 
however,  belied  the  seriousness  of  his  manner. 
"Are  you  trying  to  make  me  think  I've  been  hood 
winked  into  coming  over  here?  Haven't  you  got 
anything  good  to  say  for  this  job  ? " 

Dalton  took  his  questions  seriously.  "On  the 
contrary,"  he  said,  "I  think  representing  one's  coun 
try  is  one  of  the  finest  things  a  man  can  do.  But 
as  an  opportunity  for  doing  any  individual  work, 
the  best  it  offers  is  a  chance  to  show  one's  dis 
cretion.  The  successful  ambassadors  I  have  known 
have  owed  their  success  to  affability  and  lack  of  de 
cided  opinions." 

The  Ambassador  rose,  yawned,  and  stretched  his 
arms  out  on  either  side  of  him.  I  have  an  idea  that 
he  was  not  only  bored,  but  also  disappointed  in 
Dalton. 

"In  other  words,  you  want  me  to  go  around 
smiling  like  a  Cheshire  cat  and  never  saying  a  word. 
Well — I'm  afraid  I'm  going  to  disappoint  you.  I've 
come  over  here  for  a  purpose,  a  big  work!"  Once 
more  the  fist  fell  heavily  on  the  table.  This  time 
the  seriousness  was  sincere.  "And — so  help  me 
God — I'm  going  to  put  it  through !" 

As  usual,  Arturo  interrupted.  He  looked  with  un 
concealed  amazement  at  Mr.  Colborne  sitting  before 
the  ambassadorial  desk,  then  went  up  to  Dalton. 

"Two  ladies  are  calling,  sir." 

The  Ambassador  sprang  up.  "My  wife  and 
daughter!  Let's  go  bring  them  in."  He  hurried 
out  of  the  room  followed  by  Dalton. 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  55 

Arturo  watched  them,  his  face  a  strange  study  in 
conflicting  thoughts.  I  think  the  truth  was  just 
beginning  to  dawn  on  him.  He  turned  to  Atkins. 

"Your  pardon,  sir,  but  who  is  that  person?" 

"You  ass!"  cried  Atkins,  "that's  our  new  Am 
bassador." 

"That  the  Ambassador!"  Arturo's  hands  and 
mustache  rose  in  horror.  "  Mon  dieu!" 


V 

November  17,  19 — . 

MRS.  COLBORNE  is  beautiful.  Tall,  slender,  with 
exceptionally  pretty  hair;  a  complexion — whether 
the  result  of  art  or  not — that  is  perfect;  handsome 
though  restless  brown  eyes;  and  a  mouth  that  is 
beautiful,  though  rather  cold  and  unsympathetic. 
She  has  line,  more  than  that,  she  has  what  the 
French  would  call  "branche."  Whether  there  is 
anything  back  of  this  striking  physical  quality  re 
mains  to  be  seen.  From  my  observation  of  her, 
since  she  arrived  and  a  little  former  experience,  I 
should  say  that  she  is  probably  commonplace — I 
mean  mentally.  Such  is  often  the  case  with  very 
beautiful  women.  Of  course,  the  world  maintains 
that  if  a  woman  is  good-looking  enough  she  need 
not  bother  about  her  mental  development.  I  wonder 
if  the  world  is  right!  I  have  always  felt  that  it 
would  be  so  much  more  compensating  to  a  woman  to 
be  distinguished  rather  than  beautiful;  for  no  matter 
how  much  of  a  wreck  she  may  develop  into,  she  can 
still  be  distinguished.  There  is  nothing  more  dis 
tinguished  than  a  distinguished  wreck. 

Miss  Colborne  is  a  young  female  edition  of  her 
father.  She  has  identically  the  same  jolly  twinkle  in 
her  gray-blue  eyes;  the  same  clear,  fresh  complexion, 

56 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  57 

with  heaps  of  gleaming  blond  hair.  She  is  thor 
oughly  Anglo-Saxon  in  type,  with  all  the  freshness 
and  fragrance  that  term  signifies.  She  is  thor 
oughly  delightful. 

When  they  arrived  at  the  Embassy  a  thorough 
inspection  of  the  house  ensued.  We  spent  an  hour 
or  more  going  through  the  rooms.  Mrs.  Colborne 
at  once  decided  they  would  keep  the  house,  discussed 
the  arrangements,  assigned  the  suites  which  were  to 
be  used  by  herself  and  her  husband  and  Miss  Col- 
borne.  One  room  caused  more  comment  than  any  of 
the  others :  The  Tower  of  the  Dwarf,  as  it  is  called. 
One  of  the  charms  of  this  old  palace  is  that  each 
room  is  named  after  the  frescos  which  decorate  it. 
The  dining-room  is  called  The  Salon  of  the  Worlds, 
on  account  of  its  geographical  frescos;  the  ballroom 
is  The  Chamber  of  the  Muses,  with  all  nine  of 
them  busy  at  their  chosen  metier.  The  Tower  of 
the  Dwarf  is  a  corner  room,  entirely  separated  from 
the  rest  of  the  house,  very  small,  with  only  one  door 
and  one  window,  and  extraordinarily  painted  walls 
which  depict  curtains  held  back  here  and  there  by 
dwarfs  who  beckon  one  to  enter  secret  chambers. 
From  the  window  one  looks  down  on  the  square, 
quite  fifty  feet  below.  Miss  Colborne  was  en 
thusiastic  about  this  room,  said  it  suggested  secret 
interviews,  and  was  sure  that  some  one,  once  upon 
a  time,  had  been  thrown  from  the  window  to  a 
clamoring  crowd  below.  Dalton  said  this  was  likely 
enough,  as  the  palace  had  been  built  four  centuries 
before  by  a  family  that  was  not  celebrated  for  its 


58  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

serenity.  When  the  Ambassador  had  looked  it 
over,  he  appropriated  it  for  himself,  saying  it  was 
the  very  place  for  a  harassed  family  man  to  find 
peace — he  could  lock  himself  in  and  no  one  could 
ever  get  him  out. 

Then  they  discussed  the  earliest  time  possible 
to  move  in.  The  question  ended  with  the  Ambas 
sador  asking  me  to  take  up  the  matter  of  engaging 
the  servants,  a  business  I  am  quite  inexperienced  in, 
though  I  see  I  am  in  for  it  now.  Comtesse  de  Stan- 
lau  was  presented  to  them.  Mrs.  Colborne  appeared 
rather  impressed  by  her  and  asked  her  to  tea  that 
afternoon  at  the  hotel.  Comte  de  Stanlau  did  not 
arrive  as  expected,  though  his  sister  promised  to 
fetch  him  to  tea  that  afternoon. 

Dalton,  Atkins,  and  I  lunched  with  them.  The 
conversation  was  what  might  be  called  a  strictly 
business  talk.  Mrs.  Colborne  is  keenly  interested 
in  the  social  part  of  her  position  and  asked  innumer 
able  questions  which  Atkins  was  able  to  answer 
without  the  least  hesitation.  One  might  say  he  was 
the  leading  speaker  at  luncheon.  He  is  the  type 
which  almost  invariably  has  a  quick  intuition  re 
garding  social  matters.  I  have  seen  the  type  often 
—in  New  York.  Rather  amusing,  if  one  will  accept 
him  as  such;  possessing  a  certain  sarcastic  clever 
ness;  assuming  an  attitude  of  man  of  the  world 
with  obvious  hints  thrown  out  to  give  you  the  idea 
that  he  has,  at  one  time,  lived  a  roue's  existence; 
always  missing  the  reality  of  things;  and  yet,  tre 
mendously  useful  to  any  one  who  is  going  to  play 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  59 

the  social  game.  Mrs.  Colborne  was  quick  to  see 
this  quality  in  him  and  I  saw  at  once  that  he  would 
probably  be  her  social  adviser.  What  Miss  Colborne 
thought  of  him  I  could  not  quite  make  out.  She 
was  rather  silent  through  luncheon,  though  not  for 
a  moment  giving  the  impression  of  indifference. 
She  is  too  interested  in  what  is  going  on  about  her 
and  is,  above  all,  a  sympathetic  listener.  The 
Ambassador,  I'm  sure,  looks  upon  Atkins  with  good- 
natured,  tolerant  contempt.  He,  too,  I  find,  is  a 
good  listener. 

"You  will  find  the  American  colony  one  of  your 
most  difficult  problems,"  Atkins  said,  toward  the 
end  of  the  meal. 

The  Ambassador  leaned  forward,  interested. 
"What  do  you  mean  by  that?" 

Atkins  twirled  his  small,  very  thin  mustache. 
"If  you  expect  to  go  into  fashionable  society  you 
can't  afford  to  have  anything  to  do  with  the  resi 
dent  Americans.  There  are  quite  a  lot  of  them  here. 
They  entertain  all  the  time.  And,  of  course,  they 
will  try  to  swamp  you  with  dinners;  not  because 
they  like  you,  do  you  see,  but  because  they  want 
to  use  you  as  an  entree  to  the  Court  set.  Besides — 
most  of  them  are  quite  impossible !" 

The  Ambassador  shot  a  puzzled  glance  toward 
Atkins  and  frowned.  "I've  heard  of  Americans 
being  over  here  so  long  that  they  acquire  the  habit 
of  looking  down  on  their  own  country  people." 
He  spoke  bluntly,  but  with  a  seriousness  which  made 
his  words  reflective.  "I  never  could  understand 


60  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

what  it  is  makes  them  feel  that  way.  Can  you  ex 
plain  it  to  me,  Mr.  Atkins?" 

Atkins  twirled  his  mustache  again  and  looked 
around  the  table  with  a  broad  smile.  "I  venture 
to  say  you  understand,  Mrs.  Colborne,  don't  you?" 

She  smiled,  evidently  pleased.  "Perfectly.  And 
you  do,  too,  John." 

"No,  I  don't.  I'm  asking  for  information.  Of 
course,  I  don't  know  Europeans  very  well  on  their 
own  soil;  but  at  home  I  always  get  the  impression 
that  they  are  a  hundred  years  behind  us  in  every 
thing." 

"Except  in  manners,"  Atkins  put  in. 

"Manners!"  The  Ambassador  laughed.  "Well 
—I'll  be  blamed  if  I  see  where  they  beat  us  there. 
I  know  they  kiss  the  hand  of  every  woman  they 
meet;  they  take  off  their  hats  to  each  other;  they 
click  their  heels  when  they  bow.  We  don't  do  any 
of  that,  I'll  admit;  nor  do  we  make  excavations  in 
our  teeth  after  every  course  at  dinner!" 

"My  dear  John!"  Mrs.  Colborne  protested. 

"No — I  can't  see  any  reason  for  this  attitude," 
the  Ambassador  went  on.  "I  don't  believe  I  ever 
shall,  either.  I'm  proud  of  the  old  U.  S.  A.,  and 
I'm  mighty  proud  of  being  here  to  represent  them. 
It's  my  business,  and  my  intention,  to  boost  them 
all  I  can.  I'm  here  to  take  care  of  all  the  Americans 
who  need  my  help.  And  it  goes  without  saying 
that  I'm  going  to  have  them  for  my  best  friends." 
He  let  his  fist  fall  on  the  table;  then  turned  to  Dai- 
ton.  "I  think  you  know  what  I  mean?" 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  61 

I  awaited  Dalton's  reply  with  interest;  indeed,  I 
think  all  of  us  did.  He  was  in  no  haste  to  answer; 
in  fact,  he  gave  the  appearance  for  a  moment  or 
two  of  having  decided  not  to  reply. 

"I  do  understand  what  you  mean,"  he  said 
finally.  "But  the  American  colony  is  invariably  a 
source  of  annoyance  and  often  embarrassment  to 
an  ambassador.  I  don't  mean"all  of  them;  of  course, 
there  are  always  nice  Americans  to  be  found.  I 
speak  of  the  colony  as  a  whole.  If  you  will  permit 
me  to  say  it,  Americans  who  live  out  of  the  United 
States  draw  their  incomes  from  its  resources  and 
do  nothing  in  return  except  criticise  its  customs 
and  its  Presidents  and  officials,  are  not  worthy  of 
much  consideration.  That  is  a  pretty  fair  descrip 
tion  of  American  colonies  in  European  capitals.  I 
was  told  by  the  President  who  gave  me  my  first 
diplomatic  appointment,  that  I  was  going  abroad 
to  make  friends  for  the  United  States  among  the 
people  of  the  country  to  which  I  was  sent;  that  I 
was  not  to  let  myself  be  used  as  a  social  ladder  for 
those  Americans  who  preferred  to  be  seen  with 
titled  persons  rather  than  with  their  own  country 
men.  It  is  a  diplomatist's  first  duty  to  try  to  be  on 
friendly,  if  not  intimate,  terms  with  the  people  of 
the  country;  and  it  is  very  necessary,  for  how  else 
are  we  to  get  useful  information!" 

I  have  tried  to  put  down  Dalton's  remarks  as 
completely  as  I  can  recall  them,  because  they  appear 
to  me  so  reasonable  and  so  true.  I  spent  a  year  in 
Paris  not  so  long  ago  and  one  of  my  most  vivid 


62  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

memories  is  of  a  woman  who  could  hardly  form  a 
sentence  without  introducing  in  it  somewhere  the 
name  of  a  titled  personage  with  whom  she  had  just 
dined.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  she  was  quite  un 
known  at  home.  And  that  brings  me  to  a  question 
that  I  have  often  heard  discussed.  I  don't  vouch 
for  its  truth,  as  I  have  not  seen  enough  of  American 
colonies  to  know.  But  it  is  often  stated  that  almost 
all  the  Americans  who  become  well-known  and 
conspicuous  in  European  capitals  are  quite  unknown 
in  the  United  States.  This  also  recalls  the  remark 
of  a  man  who  said  he  never  met  nice  people  while 
travelling  and  the  answer,  that  nice  people  didn't 
travel,  they  stopped  at  home. 

The  Ambassador  had  listened  attentively.  "It 
sounds  sensible  enough,"  he  said,  with  that  frankness 
and  receptivity  to  new  ideas  which  makes  him  a 
big  man.  "I  never  thought  of  it  that  way  before. 
But  then,  I've  only  known  Americans  at  home. 
I'm  afraid,  though,  I  shall  not  be  much  of  a  success 
making  friends  with  these  people.  To  begin  with, 
I  don't  speak  anything  but  American." 

"That  need  not  worry  you,"  Dalton  replied. 
"English  has  become  quite  chic  lately — much  more 
so  than  French.  You  will  find  almost  every  one  you 
meet  speaks  it." 

"Thank  God  for  that !"  said  the  Ambassador  with 
his  hearty  laugh.  .  .  . 

This  afternoon  I  had  my  first  conversation  with 
Miss  Colborne.  I  came  in  a  little  early  for  tea  and 
found  her  overlooking  the  tea-table. 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  63 

"I'm  trying  to  make  these  rooms  look  a  little  less 
like  a  hotel,"  she  explained,  shaking  hands  and 
giving  me  a  friendly  smile.  Her  hand-clasp  was 
friendly,  too;  a  warm,  personal  clasp.  She  is  amaz 
ingly  like  her  father,  and  an  interesting  study  in 
showing  how  a  second  generation  can  acquire  all 
the  subtlety  and  refinement  unknown  to  the  first 
and  yet  without  losing  any  of  the  virility  or  straight 
forward  qualities  of  the  former.  She  was  quite 
pretty  and  dainty  in  a  light  frock  and,  while  ar 
ranging  a  bowl  of  roses  on  the  tea-table,  struck  me  as 
being  as  charming  a  picture  as  I  have  seen  for  many 
a  day.  It  was  nice  to  see  her  thinking  about  making 
the  rooms  homelike  and  attractive.  After  all,  it  is 
one  of  a  woman's  important  missions  in  life,  if  not 
the  most  important,  to  make  surroundings  pretty, 
and  one  doesn't  often  find  girls  bothering  about 
it. 

"Will  you  have  your  tea  now?"  she  asked.  "I 
always  try  to  have  mine  before  the  guests  arrive. 
Otherwise — I  never  get  it." 

The  water,  extraordinary  event,  was  already  boil 
ing  and  we  had  our  tea  at  once. 

"I  wonder  if  we  shall  like  it  here,"  she  said, 
sipping  her  tea.  "Do  you?" 

"It's  bound  to  be  interesting." 

"I  suppose  so,"  she  said,  with  a  slight  drooping 
at  the  corners  of  her  mouth.  "But  just  think  of 
losing  four  years  at  home.  You  won't  tell  any  one 
if  I  tell  you  a  secret?" 

I  swore  it  would  be  like  burying  it  to  tell  me. 


64  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

Strange  how  tremendously  flattering  it  is  to  have  a 
woman  trust  you ! 

She  smiled  a  little,  looked  about  the  room  as  if 
to  be  sure  that  we  were  alone,  and  leaned  a  bit 
forward.  "I  wouldn't  have  father  know  it  for  any 
thing  in  the  world !" 

"It  must  be  frightfully  serious,"  I  said. 

At  this  she  laughed.  "It  isn't  serious  at  all.  It's 
only  this,  I  hated  to  come." 

I  laughed,  too.    "Then  why  did  you?" 

She  put  down  her  cup  and  looked  at  me  through 
a  short  silence.  I  think  she  was  weighing  me  in  the 
balance;  and  surely  her  following  words  made  me 
feel  that  she  had  decided  I  was  not  wanting. 

"You  are  going  to  be  father's  private  secretary, 
and  so,  of  course,  more  in  his  confidence  than  the 
others,  aren't  you?" 

"I  hope  he  will  consider  me  worthy  of  his  con 
fidence." 

"He  does,  I'm  sure;  he  told  me  that  he  liked  you 
the  first  time  he  saw  you."  She  stopped  and  leaned 
back  in  her  chair.  "My  reason  for  coming  was  that 
I  felt  I  could  be  of  some  help  to  him.  You  see,  he 
has  never  known  this  sort  of  life,  it  is  quite  new  to 
him,  and,  naturally,  he  isn't  going  to  like  it.  It  will 
bore  him  to  death.  Has  he  told  you  why  he  ac 
cepted  this  position?" 

I  told  her  that  he  had  referred  to  some  important 
work,  but  only  in  a  vague  way. 

"He  will  tell  you,  of  course.  But  beyond  that,  I 
want  him  to  succeed  in  other  ways.  He  has  never 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  65 

failed  at  anything  he  has  set  out  to  do.  I  don't 
want  him  to  now.  He  shan't,  either,  if  I  count  for 
anything." 

She  said  this  with  such  determination  that  I 
could  almost  see  the  clinched  fist  coming  heavily 
down  on  the  desk.  It  also  sent  my  curiosity  up  a 
hundred  per  cent.  What  in  the  mischief  is  this 
important  mission  which  has  brought  him  here? 
If  I  don't  find  out  soon  I'm  going  to  ask  him. 

"I'm  sure  you  can  count  on  me  to  the  extent  of 
my  limited  ability,"  I  said. 

"Thank  you."  She  extended  her  hand,  while  the 
determined  expression  faded  into  a  smile.  "Then 
we  are  all  going  to  pull  together,  as  father  would 
say." 

At  this  point  the  door  opened  and  Mrs.  Colborne 
entered.  She  was  wearing  a  delightful  gray  tea- 
gown,  one  of  those  stencilled  creations  of  Fortuny 
which  one  woman  in  ten  thousand  can  manage  suc 
cessfully.  Mrs.  Colborne  wore  it  gracefully.  Even 
Atkins  will  approve  of  her  standard  in  dress. 

Almost  immediately  Comte  de  Stanlau  and  his 
sister  came  in.  It  seems  that  he  knew  the  Col- 
bornes  when  he  was  Ambassador  in  Washington, 
so  that  his  greeting  was  that  of  an  old  friend.  He 
is  an  extremely  interesting  type;  very  handsome, 
dark,  rather  Latin  in  character,  tall  and  gracefully 
proportioned.  Indeed,  his  whole  personality  is 
graceful.  His  manner,  which  might  be  called 
formal  at  home,  is  expressive  of  sincere  personal 
interest  in  the  one  to  whom  he  happens  to  be  talk- 


66  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

ing;  his  courtesy  is  charming.  He  possibly  suggests 
giving  too  much  care  to  the  selection  and  putting  on 
of  his  clothes,  but  this  is  a  characteristic  of  Con 
tinentals.  His  voice,  low  and  modulated,  is  one  of 
his  most  agreeable  qualities.  It  reveals  cultivation, 
refinement,  and  that  assurance  which  comes  from 
being  at  home  in  any  situation.  His  English  has 
just  enough  accent  to  make  it  attractive. 

He  bowed  over  Mrs.  Colborne's  hand  and  raised 
it  to  his  lips. 

"Ah,  your  Excellency,  welcome  to  my  country! 
I  congratulate  the  United  States  upon  sending  you 
as  their  representative." 

Mrs.  Colborne  was  immensely  pleased.  "By 
which  you  mean  me  or  my  husband?" 

Comte  de  Stanlau's  shoulders  rose  gracefully. 
"The  Ambassadress  is  invariably  the  important 
feature  of  an  embassy."  He  turned  to  Miss  Col- 
borne,  took  her  hand  but  did  not  kiss  it,  and  I 
fancied  I  saw  a  subtle  change  in  his  manner.  It 
was  even  more  courteous.  It  was  almost  the  at 
titude  of  a  man  toward  the  women  he  worships. 
She,  however,  did  not  appear  to  notice  it,  and  greeted 
him  with  her  customary  frankness. 

The  Ambassador  came  in  at  this  moment  with 
both  Dalton  and  Atkins,  so  that  the  conversation 
became  general.  Dalton  gave  me  two  letters  which 
had  just  arrived  for  me,  and,  anxious  to  read  them.  I 
gradually  made  my  way  to  the  far  end  of  the  room- 
it  was  one  of  those  large,  hideous  salons  reserved 
for  important  guests — and  into  an  adjoining  room 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  67 

used  as  a  dining-room.  Here  I  sat  down  near  the 
door  and  opened  my  letters. 

I  could  only  have  been  there  a  few  minutes  when 
my  attention  was  called  from  the  letters  to  a  con 
versation  which  was  taking  place  very  near  me, 
just  on  the  other  side  of  the  door.  Evidently 
Comte  de  Stanlau  and  Mrs.  Colborne  had  detached 
themselves  from  the  others  for  a  moment  of  unin 
terrupted  conversation. 

It  was  his  voice  which  caught  my  attention  first, 
very  low,  and  with  an  intimate  quality  in  it  which 
surprised  me. 

"I  am  so  happy  that  Miss  Colborne  smiles  upon 
my  country.  First  impressions  are  always  very 
real." 

"How  could  she  do  otherwise?  It  is  so  charming 
here." 

"But  you — you  are  always,  I  remember— 

"What?" 

"So  very  kind  and  sympathetic — so  very  under 
standing." 

This  was  followed  by  a  slight  pause.  Then  Mrs. 
Colborne's  voice:  "We  have  had  quite  a  serious 
diplomatic  conversation  to-day.  I  suppose  one  might 
call  it  my  first  lesson." 

"You!"  His  low  laugh  expressed  incredulity. 
"I  should  like  to  find  any  one  accomplished  enough 
to  teach  you  anything  about  diplomacy.  You  were 
made  for  this  life.  It  is  your  metier." 

"You  said  just  now  that  an  ambassadress  was 
the  important  part  of  an  embassy.  Do  you  be- 


68  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

lieve,  too,  that  an  ambassador's  wife  makes  or  ruins 
him?" 

"It  is  quite  true.  The  woman,  in  diplomacy, 
plays  the  subtle  part." 

Mrs.  Colborne  sighed.    "Alas !  I  am  not  subtle." 

"Subtlety,"  Comte  de  Stanlau's  voice  grew  a 
shade  softer,  "subtlety,  to  me,  shows  itself  most 
in  the  eyes.  Brown  eyes,  when  they  are  deep  and 
warm,  are  full  of  subtle  lights.  One  never  knows 
which  of  their  Protean  shades  expresses  it  most. 
Then  a  hand,  with  delicate,  sensitive  fingers,  shows 
infinite  subtlety  .  .  .  You — will  you  forgive  me  if 
I  say  it? — you  are  made  up  of  subtleties." 

Atkins  came  across  to  them  with  a  perfunctory 
question  about  another  cup  of  tea.  This  interrup 
tion,  however,  was  only  of  a  few  seconds. 

"I  want  so  much  to  succeed,"  Mrs.  Colborne  re 
sumed,  almost  plaintively.  "My  husband  hates 
protocol  and  every  sort  of  form.  So,  do  you  see,  I 
shall  have  to  do  everything  alone;  unless — unless 
you  would  help  me?" 

Comte  de  Stanlau  laughed  again,  this  time  ex 
pressing  deprecation.  "You  are  far  too  clever  to 
need  my  poor  assistance.  You  have  to  do  only  one 
thing  to  win  all  my  countrymen." 

"  Only  one  thing  ?    What  ?  " 

"  Smile !  We  are  very  susceptible  to  beauty  .  .  . 
It  has  been  our  ruin !  As  Ambassadress — your  power 
will  be  unlimited !" 

Mrs.  Colborne  pretended  to  scoff  at  this.  "Why 
should  I  have  any  power?  In  what  would  it  con 
sist?" 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  69 

"  An  ambassadress — with  cleverness  and  beauty— 
and  money !  Par  exemple!  Think  of  what  you  could 
do  for  me!" 

"For  you!    What?" 

He  paused  for  a  full  moment.  His  voice  came 
still  lower. 

"Your  stepdaughter — Miss  Colborne." 

"Ah,  Kate!"  Her  voice  sounded  a  shade  disap 
pointed.  "Are  you  still  thinking  of  her?" 

"I  have  never  thought  of  any  one  else  since  I 
left  Washington.  She  has  made  my  country  seem 
worthless  to  me.  Without  her— 

I  got  up  quickly,  suddenly  realizing  my  indis 
cretion.  If  Comte  de  Stanlau  was  going  to  pour 
out  his  heart  to  Mrs.  Colborne  on  the  subject  of 
Miss  Colborne  it  was  time  for  me  to  move. 

As  I  passed  through  the  door  I  could  not  help 
hearing  what  Mrs.  Colborne  was  saying:  "She  is 
very  diftcile.  First,  you  must  win  her  trust;  then 
do  something  to  put  her  under  obligations  to  you." 

It  is  extraordinary  how  much  keener  one's  inter 
est  becomes  in  any  person  once  one  knows  the  great 
desire  of  that  person's  life.  I  found  myself  studying 
Comte  de  Stanlau  all  the  rest  of  the  afternoon.  He 
had  interested  me  from  the  first;  now  he  was  be 
coming  a  sort  of  obsession.  I  began  to  appraise 
him  as  a  factor  in  arousing  the  interest  of  a  woman. 
To  a  mature  woman  he  would  be  immensely  at 
tractive;  to  a  young  girl,  I  am  not  so  sure.  He 
must  be  over  forty;  his  face  has  interesting  lines  in 
it;  his  alert  expression,  accentuated  by  a  smartly 
trained  mustache,  gives  the  effect  of  youth.  Yet  I 


yo  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

have  the  feeling  that  everything  about  him  is  too 
carefully  studied  to  be  spontaneous.  He  would  be 
perfect  as  an  accomplished  villain. 

His  few  words  about  Kate  which  I  had  overheard 
gave  me  a  new  interest  in  her.  I  gathered  from 
those  few  words  that  he  had  proposed  to  her  and 
been  refused.  Suddenly,  with  an  unpleasant  shock, 
I  recalled  what  Comtesse  Victoire  had  said  to  At 
kins  that  day  in  the  garden  about  the  dot  the  Am 
bassador  would  give  his  daughter.  . 

When  I  got  back  to  the  tea-table  Comte  de  Stan- 
lau  was  talking  to  Kate  and  Dalton. 

"Then  you  don't  think  four  years  will  be  long  to 
you  in  my  country?"  Stanlau  was  saying. 

Kate  threw  me  a  glance  before  answering.  "I 
had  just  said  before  you  came  in,  Comte  de  Stanlau, 
that  four  years  away  from  home  seemed  an  awfully 
long  time."  Then  to  me:  "The  Comtesse  has  been 
telling  me  such  interesting  things  about  the  people 
we  are  going  to  meet." 

She  said  this  in  a  way  that  rather  left  Comte  de 
Stanlau  out  of  the  conversation.  Whether  she 
meant  it  that  way  or  not,  I'm  not  sure.  He,  at 
least,  did  not  seem  to  feel  that  she  did. 

"You  will  enjoy  riding  here,  mademoiselle,"  he 
went  on  suavely.  "I  have  some  excellent  horses 
to  offer  you." 

" Thank  you,"  she  said  rather  perfunctorily.  "I 
think  I  shall  ride  a  good  deal."  She  turned  this 
time  to  Dalton:  "When  are  you  going  to  give  me 
the  list  of  Americans  living  here?" 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  71 

Comte  de  Stanlau  looked  at  her  intently  a  mo 
ment,  then  quite  without  brusqueness  moved  across 
the  room  to  the  Ambassador. 

Dalton  had  not  answered  her.  He  waited,  smil 
ing  at  her,  until  Stanlau  was  safely  out  of  hearing. 

"You  are  extraordinarily  like  your  father,"  he 
said,  evidently  greatly  amused. 

"I?"    She  looked  up  in  surprise.     "How?" 

"You  both  have  the  same  dislike  of  foreigners." 

"Dislike!  No,"  she  said  thoughtfully,  "I  don't 
think  we  dislike  them.  We  just  prefer  Americans." 
She  said  this  with  a  nice,  comprehensive  look  at  both 
of  us.  "I  suppose  you  mean  that  I  was  rude  to 
Comte  de  Stanlau.  I  didn't  intend  to  be;  only," 
she  made  a  pretty  little  moue,  "he  thinks  a  woman 
must  always  be  fed  on  flattery." 

"It  appeared  sincere  with  him." 

"Appeared — yes."  Again  she  looked  up  at  us 
both.  For  a  second  her  face  grew  a  shade  pinker; 
then  her  eyes  fell.  "I  suppose  I'm  quite  unique  for 
a  woman,  but  do  you  know,  I'd  rather  feel  things 
than  hear  them  said.  Unless,"  this  with  a  gay  little 
laugh,  "they  came  from  some  one  I  wanted  to 
hear  them  from." 

Dalton  waited  a  moment,  then  lowered  his  voice: 
"May  I  make  a  suggestion?" 

"Of  course— do." 

"Comte  de  Stanlau  is  a  very  important  man  in 
this  country.  In  fact,  he  is  about  the  cleverest  man 
here.  He  can  be  very  useful  to  your  father." 

"Oh,  dear,"  she  sighed  with  resignation.    "Then 


72  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

you  mean  it  is  my  duty  to  let  him  go  on—  She 
hesitated,  as  if  deciding  whether  or  not  to  finish 
the  sentence. 

Dalton  laughed.  "Not  exactly  that." 
"But  it  will  be  that,  I  assure  you."  She  drew 
her  brows  together  with  vexation.  "I  see  you 
are  determined  to  draw  me  into  this  diplomatic 
net.  And  I  was  planning  to  have  such  a  good  time 
keeping  entirely  out  of  it." 

I  have  been  thinking  about  her  and  Stanlau  all 
evening.  I  hope  she  won't  consider  him  seriously. 
But  I  don't  see  why  I  should  bother  about  it  in  the 
least,  except  that  Dalton,  who,  by  the  way,  gives 
all  the  signs  of  already  being  interested  in  her,  would 
be  a  much  more  suitable  match.  There  is  no  doubt, 
however,  that  Mrs.  Colborne  favors  Stanlau.  As 
he  was  raising  her  hand  to  his  lips  at  parting,  he 
said  quite  loud  enough  for  me  to  hear:  "Then  I 
may  count  on  your  help?"  "Indeed  you  may," 
she  replied  warmly.  "I  will  do  everything  in  my 
power." 


VI 

December  i,  19 — . 

WE  have  all  been  "on  the  jump,"  as  the  Ambas 
sador  would  phrase  it,  this  past  week.  The  first  two 
or  three  days  were  given  up  to  installing  the  family 
in  the  Embassy.  The  army  corps  of  servants,  en 
gaged  by  Arturo,  interviewed  by  me,  and  now  in 
resplendent  livery,  are  standing  around  in  every 
one's  way,  especially  the  Ambassador's.  They 
bow  quite  to  the  ground  whenever  he  appears.  I 
believe  they  are  mortally  afraid  of  him;  he,  so  long 
as  he  is  not  thinking  of  something  else,  appears  to 
be  getting  a  good  deal  of  amusement  out  of  them. 
He  gives  his  orders  in  English,  explaining  in  detail 
exactly  what  he  wants,  and  though  none  of  them, 
with  the  exception  of  his  valet  and  the  maitre  d'hotel, 
know  one  word  of  English,  they  appear  to  under 
stand  him  perfectly.  I  don't  see  how  it  is  done.  I 
can't  make  people  understand  me  unless  I  speak  a 
language  they  know;  but  the  Ambassador  can.  He 
simply  talks  on  in  a  perfectly  natural,  conversational 
manner,  exactly  as  he  would  talk  to  me;  the  other 
person  responds  in  his  own  language;  and  both  of 
them  appear  to  understand.  There  is  something 
psychic  in  it,  I  suppose.  Anyhow,  it's  quite  beyond 
me. 

The  most  important  event  of  the  week  was  the 

73 


74  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

Ambassador's  audience  with  the  King.  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  it  was  not  half  so  impressive  as  it  sounds. 
The  announcement,  command,  or  summons,  call  it 
what  you  will,  came  two  days  before,  with  the  in 
formation  that  his  Majesty  would  deign  to  receive 
the  American  Ambassador  at  eleven  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  and  that  the  royal  carriage  would  come 
for  the  Ambassador  at  a  little  before  the  appointed 
hour. 

We  donned  our  evening  clothes  in  honor  of  the 
occasion.  I  have  never  before  realized  how  neces 
sary  some  sort  of  a  diplomatic  uniform  is.  Atkins 
sneered  at  himself  and  at  us  all,  declaring  we  looked 
like  nothing  more  or  less  than  waiters.  The  Am 
bassador  said  that  if  he  were  seen  in  Washington 
at  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning  in  a  dress  suit,  he 
would  never  find  any  one  who  would  believe  he 
hadn't  been  out  all  night. 

When  Arturo  announced  that  the  royal  carriage 
had  arrived  and  that  several  chamberlains  awaited 
the  Ambassador,  we  went  down  the  stairs  in  dignified 
silence.  I  think  Arturo  must  have  increased  his 
army  corps,  for  I  could  have  sworn  there  was  a 
liveried  footman  on  each  step.  Two  men  in  cavalry 
uniform,  the  smartest  I  have  seen,  black  coats 
trimmed  with  astrakhan,  silver  epaulets,  light-blue 
trousers,  patent-leather  boots,  astrakhan  caps,  and 
dangling  swords,  came  forward  and  presented  them 
selves  as  members  of  the  King's  Guard  who  had  come 
to  fetch  us  to  the  Palace.  They  were  very  jolly, 
good-looking  chaps,  and  as  soon  as  they  forgot  their 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  75 

uniforms,  were  as  informal  as  you  please.  They 
conducted  the  Ambassador  to  the  royal  carriage,  a 
gaudy  affair  done  hi  red  paint  with  scrolls  of  gilt, 
the  four  corners  decorated  with  an  arrangement  of 
brass  bouquets.  The  horses,  four  of  them,  were 
white  with  a  very  jolly  harness  of  red  patent  leather 
with  bunches  of  plumes  on  the  bridles.  The  whole 
outfit  reminded  me  of  a  hearse  I  had  once  seen  in 
Havana,  which  bore  the  significant  name  of  "El 
Chicago,"  on  account  of  having  come  from  that 
enterprising  city.  If  one's  last  expressed  desire 
had  been  to  be  buried  in  a  really  smart  fashion,  the 
family  jewels  had  often  to  be  pawned  to  afford  the 
chic  "El  Chicago."  A  score  of  mounted  gens 
d'armes  accompanied  this  coach  and  a  second  one, 
of  less  portentous  design.  Atkins  and  I  and  one  of 
the  Royal  Guardsmen  rode  in  this  latter  one. 

The  Palace  was  entered  by  an  impressive  stair 
case.  The  regulation  red  carpet  and  palms  were  in 
evidence,  and,  of  course,  heaps  of  flunkies  and  a 
detachment  of  the  King's  Guard,  who  dropped  their 
guns  with  such  a  noisy  salute  as  we  passed  that  I'm 
afraid  all  of  us  jumped  disgracefully. 

The  Grand  Master  of  Ceremonies  or  Master  of 
Grand  Ceremonies,  I  never  can  remember  which  it 
is — from  his  uniform  it  ought  to  be  both — met  us 
at  the  top  of  the  stairs.  He  would  make  Arturo 
die  of  jealousy !  His  uniform  is  quite  the  most 
splendid  thing  I've  ever  seen,  in  or  out  of  comic  or 
grand  opera.  To  make  his  presence  all  the  more 
imposing  he  carries  a  baton  eight  feet  high,  wrapped 


76  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

all  about  with  gold  cord  and  tassels.  Our  simple 
republican  black  and  white  became  almost  shabby; 
even  the  Ambassador  appeared  to  feel  a  certain 
lack  of  importance  in  our  costuming. 

The  Grand  Master  led  us  through  innumerable 
antechambers.  We  followed  silently,  all  of  us  a  bit 
dejected.  At  last  we  came  to  a  door  where  the 
Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs  greeted  the  Ambas 
sador  and  conducted  us  into  a  smaller  room.  Here 
a  pleasant,  smiling  old  gentleman,  in  the  same  smart 
uniform  of  the  King's  Guard,  came  forward  with 
outstretched  hand. 

"It  gives  me  much  pleasure  to  welcome  you  to 
our  country,"  he  said,  very  simply  and  in  perfect 
English,  drawing  the  Ambassador  with  him,  a  little 
away  from  us. 

Dalton,  Atkins,  and  I  waited  near  the  door. 

After  a  minute  or  two  of  hesitation  my  curiosity 
got  the  better  of  me.  I  nudged  Atkins  with  my 
elbow.  "Is  that  by  way  of  being  his  Majesty?" 
I  whispered. 

He  annihilated  me  with  a  glance.  "No.  It's  the 
chimney-sweep !" 

The  King  continued  his  little  talk,  expressing  much 
delight  at  welcoming  an  American  ambassador, 
mentioning  the  friendly  relations  which  had  always 
existed  between  the  two  countries,  and  a  lot  of  other 
official  expressions  of  good-will.  His  face  was  de 
lightfully  human.  Rather  good-looking,  a  fair, 
northern  type,  and  showing  unmistakable  evidences 
of  having  tried  all  the  dissipations  life  could  offer. 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  77 

Out  of  his  uniform  and  kingly  setting  one  would  have 
taken  him  for  a  nice,  sympathetic  old  boulevardier. 
I  could  see  at  a  glance  that  he  and  the  Ambassador 
were  hitting  it  off  immensely  well;  and  after  the 
Ambassador  had  made  his  set  speech,  also  about  the 
friendly  relations — they  can't  seem  to  get  away 
from  that  phrase — presented  his  letter  of  credence 
with  its  dangling  seals,  the  King  made  a  gesture 
toward  a  line  of  chairs  against  the  wall  and  together 
they  walked  across  the  room  and  sat  down.  This 
left  the  Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs  with  us.  How 
ever,  I  was  too  busy  watching  the  scene  across  the 
room  to  take  notice  of  any  one  else.  The  King  and 
the  Ambassador  appeared  to  be  immensely  interested 
in  each  other,  one  might  say  they  were  hobnobbing. 
Once  I  saw  the  Ambassador's  hand  raised  to  fall 
with  emphasis  on  the  King's  knee.  However,  it 
didn't.  He  told  me  afterward  that  he  remembered 
just  in  the  nick  of  time. 

They  must  have  talked  for  half  an  hour;  then  the 
King  rose,  came  over,  and  shook  hands  with  each 
of  us,  said  a  word  or  two,  shook  hands  with  the  Am 
bassador,  and  we  all  left  the  room,  trying  to  bow 
ourselves  out  with  our  faces  still  toward  the  King, 
and  in  consequence  stepping  all  over  each  other. 

The  two  officers  drove  home  with  us  and  would 
not  leave  until  we  had  been  safely  landed  within  the 
Embassy  doors. 

As  soon  as  they  were  gone  the  Ambassador  went 
straight  to  his  office,  telling  us  all  to  come  with  him. 
He  rang  the  bell  for  the  maitre  d' hotel,  threw  himself 


78  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

heavily  into  the  revolving  chair,  and  let  out  a  merry 
roar. 

"  Of  all  the  fake  business ! "  he  exclaimed.  "  Why, 
we  do  it  a  hundred  per  cent  better  in  Washing 
ton!" 

The  mailre  d'hote!  entered  and  bowed. 

"Four  high-balls,  quick!"  said  the  Ambassador. 

The  maitre  d*  hotel  bowed  low.  "Four  high-balls, 
your  Excellency?" 

"  That's  what  I  said.  One — two — three — four ! 
One  for  each  of  us." 

The  man  kept  on  bowing.  Finally  Atkins  went 
up  to  him. 

"Four  whiskeys  and  soda,"  he  said  in  a  lowered 
voice. 

"Ah!  Whiskey  and  soda!"  the  maitre  d*  hotel 
exclaimed  with  immense  relief.  "Whiskey  and 
soda !  At  once,  your  Excellency." 

Freed  from  the  disturbing  formality  of  the  ser 
vant,  the  Ambassador  lighted  a  cigar,  tilted  back 
his  chair,  and  smiled  reflectively.  At  such  times  his 
face  is  full  of  charm.  His  deeply  human  qualities 
show  more,  his  eyes  lose  their  direct  expression  and 
become  gentler;  his  kindly,  humorous  view  of  the 
world  shines  forth  warmly. 

"You  young  men  don't  see  it  as  I  do — all  this 
folderol  King  business.  I'm  chuckling  inside  all 
the  time.  It's  a  mighty  good  thing  for  a  fellow  to 
be  able  to  laugh  at  himself.  I  wonder  what  they'd 
say  to  all  this  in  the  home  town.  Gee-Whilligens ! 
But  they'd  roast  me!"  He  laughed  easily  to  him- 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  79 

self,  swinging  around  in  the  chair  and  patting  its 
arms  with  his  hands.  "This  chair  brings  it  all 
back  to  me — how  I  started  out  in  life.  A  swivel- 
chair  before  a  big  desk  was  the  height  of  my  am 
bition — once  upon  a  time.  Golly!  How  I  re 
member  the  first  day  I  sat  in  one,  chair,  desk  office 
—all  my  own !  Great  day  that ! — when  I  was  made 
director  of  the  Interstate  Barbed- Wire  Fence  Com 
pany  !  And  now ! — look  at  me ! "  He  sighed,  smiled 
again,  then  suddenly  swung  around  toward  Atkins. 
"Young  man,"  he  said  abruptly,  "ever  done  any 
work?" 

Atkins  lifted  his  eyebrows.  "I've  never  been  in 
business." 

"Too  bad!  Great  training  for  a  young  man. 
Shows  you  how  to  do  things.  Got  me  to  Congress, 
got  me  to  the  Senate " 

"And  made  you  Ambassador,"  Atkins  added,  with 
a  smile  which  barely  veiled  the  inferred  sarcasm. 

"No,  dog-on-it!"  the  Ambassador  roared,  "my 
wife  did  that !  But  I'm  going  to  run  this  Embassy 
on  the  same  lines  I  ran  my  barbed-wire-fence  fac 
tory." 

"What  were  those  lines,  sir?"  Dalton  put  in. 

"First — know  what  you  want  to  do;  second — find 
out  how  to  do  it;  third — do  it !"  He  rose  from  his 
chair  and  stood  before  us  with  his  hands  deep  in 
his  pockets. 

Dalton  rose  also.  Atkins  and  I  quickly  fol 
lowed. 

"Sit  down,  all  of  you,"  said  the  Ambassador. 


8o  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

"You  don't  have  to  stand  up  just  because  I  do.  I 
have  to;  can't  think  unless  I'm  on  my  feet.  Now— 
as  I  was  saying — I  know  what  I've  come  here  for; 
so,  you  see,  number  one's  all  right.  I'm  counting 
on  you  to  help  me  with  number  two  and  three." 

A  knock  interrupted.  Arturo  entered  with  a 
cablegram.  Dalton  took  it,  tore  it  open,  and  glanced 
at  it. 

"It's  in  cipher,  sir.  I'll  get  the  code-book  at 
once." 

He  left  the  room  just  as  the  maitre  d 'hotel  entered, 
followed  by  a  footman  carrying  a  tray.  On  it  was 
a  bottle  of  whiskey,  a  carafe  of  water,  and  four  wine 
glasses.  Taking  the  tray  from  the  footman  the 
maitre  d'hotel  placed  it,  with  great  empressement,  on 
the  desk  and  bowed  low.  The  Ambassador  sat 
down,  picked  up  the  bottle  and  read  the  label,  put 
it  down  with  a  grimace,  and  looked  at  the  carafe. 

"A  bottle  of  Scotch  whiskey — ugh !  And  a  bottle 
of  plain  water !  And  wine-glasses ! "  He  looked  at 
the  maitre  d'hotel  with  an  expression  of  increasing 
disgust.  "Is  that  the  best  high-ball  you  can  give  a 
man !  Where's  the  soda  ?  Where's  the  ice  ?  Where's 
the—"  His  fist  fell  on  the  desk.  "Don't  look  at 
me  as  if  you  didn't  know  what  I  was  talking  about." 

"Perhaps  he  doesn't  understand  our  drinks,"  I 
interrupted,  and  turned  quickly  to  the  trembling 
domestic.  "De  I'eau,  de  seltz,  et  de  la  glace.7' 

"Bien,  monsieur."  The  man  bowed  and  hurried 
to  the  door. 

"And  rye — not  Scotch,  mind  you,"  called  the  Am- 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  81 

bassador.  "And  if  you  never  heard  of  a  high-ball 
before,  go  to  that  saloon  I  saw  down  the  street.  It 
has  a  sign  over  the  door:  'American  bar.'  Get  them 
to  tell  you  what  a  high-ball  is."  He  turned  to  me: 
"I  thought  he  spoke  American.  If  he  doesn't,  fire 
him  at  once.  I  told  you  I'd  have  nothing  but  Amer 
ican  around  me." 

Dalton  returned  with  the  code-book.  He  sat 
down  at  one  corner  of  the  Ambassador's  desk  and, 
with  the  aid  of  Atkins,  began  deciphering  the  cable. 
The  Ambassador,  leaning  back  in  his  chair,  watched 
the  process  through  a  cloud  of  cigar-smoke. 

"What's  the  date?"  he  asked,  after  a  long  pause. 

"Yesterday  noon." 

"Twenty-four  hours!  Damned  slow  cable  ser 
vice.  I  must  look  into  that.  What  next?" 

"Confidential." 

"Is  that  a  bluff — or  does  it  mean  something?" 

"It  usually  means  something  important." 

The  Ambassador  leaned  forward.    "Go  on." 

Atkins  called  off  a  group  of  figures.  "It's  one  of 
those  tiresome  double  code  words,"  he  drawled. 
"Here  it  is:  Lillian.  Here's  another:  Russell." 

The  Ambassador  reached  impatiently  toward  the 
code-book.  "  Lillian  Russell ! "  he  exclaimed.  >"  You 
are  both  drunk !  Give  me  the  book !  I'll  work  it." 

"Just  one  minute,  please,"  Dalton  replied.  "These 
words  have  another  meaning.  Here  it  is:  Lillian  is 
Count;  Russell  is  Stanlau." 

The  Ambassador  sank  back  in  his  chair  and 
waited,  not  patiently,  but  with  his  eyes  and  his 


82  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

hands  moving  restlessly.  When  Dalton  handed  him 
the  cable,  he  took  it  and  read  it  in  silence.  Then  he 
spread  it  out  on  the  desk  before  him,  read  it  again, 
frowned,  whistled,  and  began  scratching  his  head 
thoughtfully. 

Dalton  and  I  watched  him  intently.  Atkins,  with 
a  yawn,  slipped  out  of  the  room  and  closed  the  door 
after  him. 

"Pretty  serious;"  Dalton  said,  after  we  had  waited 
a  long  time  in  silence. 

"Serious!"  The  Ambassador  looked  up  as  if 
startled  to  find  us  still  there.  "It's  the  most  serious 
thing  that  has  come  up  for  the  United  States  in  my 
lifetime.  This  wasn't  known  when  I  left  home.  I 
wonder  when  they  got  on  to  it."  Suddenly  he  looked 
around  for  Atkins.  "How  about  that  young  chap 
knowing  this,  Dalton?" 

"  He  only  read  out  the  numbers.  Except  for  Count 
de  Stanlau's  name  appearing,  he  knows  nothing." 

"Then  it's  between  us  three?" 

"Absolutely." 

"I  beg  your  pardon,"  I  interrupted.  "Between 
you  two.  I  did  not  see  it." 

The  Ambassador  gave  me  a  swift  look,  glanced  at 
the  cable  once  more,  then,  without  a  word,  handed 
it  to  me.  I  don't  think  I've  ever  been  more  sincerely 
flattered.  But  I  forgot  this  the  moment  I  had  read 
the  cable.  It  was  the  first  time  I  had  ever  been  be 
hind  the  scenes  of  world  history,  and  to  suddenly 
see  my  own  country  on  the  point  of  winning  or  los 
ing  what  she  had  stood  for  for  over  a  hundred  years 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  83 

made  me  a  little  dizzy.  My  second  thought  was  a 
question :  Was  the  Ambassador  big  enough  to  handle 
it?  Would  he  have  been  chosen  for  this  mission 
if  the  information  embodied  in  the  cable  had  been 
known  before  he  left?  I  hated  myself  for  doubting 
him,  and  yet  this  problem  which  had  been  put  up 
to  him  would  have  been  a  test  of  any  man's  ability, 
no  matter  how  experienced  he  might  be. 

When  I  turned  back  to  the  room — I  had  gone 
to  the  window  to  read  the  cable — I  saw  Dalton 
locking  the  door.  He  sat  down  near  the  desk.  The 
Ambassador  motioned  me  to  join  them. 

"Now,  let's  get  down  to  business.  Tell  me  ev 
erything  you  know  about  Stanlau." 

Dalton  gave  a  concise  sketch  of  Comte  de  Stan- 
lau's  career.  It  appears  that  he  is  one  of  the  most 
influential  men  in  his  country.  Of  an  old  family 
whose  traditions  have  been  allied  with  those  of  the 
monarchy  for  centuries,  he  holds  a  unique  position, 
in  that  he  is  very  close  to  the  King  and  court  circle, 
and  is  also  very  popular  with  the  people.  Having 
grown  interested  in  politics  and  become  a  member 
of  Parliament,  he  has  for  the  last  few  years  been 
a  formidable  leader  of  the  Socialist  party.  His 
popularity  with  this  left  wing  of  Parliament  is  the 
greatest  source  of  his  power.  Though  a  monarchist, 
his  liberal  tendencies  and  sympathies  for  the  con 
stitutionalists  make  his  position  at  Court  extremely 
difficult. 

•'If  he  were  not  afraid  of  him,"  Dalton  ended, 
"the  King  would  have  exiled  him  long  ago." 


84  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

The  Ambassador  listened  attentively.  "So  the 
King  would  like  to  get  rid  of  him?"  he  asked 
slowly. 

"Naturally.     He  opposes  the  King's  plans." 

"And  the  King's  plans,"  said  the  Ambassador, 
rising  and  walking  about  the  room,  "are  our  plans." 

"Unfortunately  for  us,"  Dalton  commented,  with 
a  succinctness  which  made  his  words  carry  weight, 
"the  King  is  a  mere  figurehead.  The  constitution 
of  this  country  is  such  that  it  makes  it  more  of  a 
democracy  than  our  own." 

"In  other  words,  we've  first  got  to  get  Stanlau 
on  our  side."  The  Ambassador  lighted  his  cigar, 
which  had  gone  out,  and  leaned  against  the  desk. 
In  the  silence  that  followed,  his  eyes  grew  thought 
ful.  "Has  it  ever  come  under  your  notice,"  he  said 
reflectively,  "that  every  man  has  his  price?  Every 
rotten  one  of  us;  even  you — even  I?" 

Dalton  looked  at  him,  surprised.  "You  mean 
you  don't  except  any  one?" 

The  Ambassador's  lips  straightened  into  a  hard, 
firm  line.  It  was  a  new  expression  for  his  face,  one 
I  had  not  seen  before,  and  one  that  sent  my  thoughts 
racing  off  into  possibilities  of  his  succeeding  with  the 
task  he  had  shouldered. 

"I  except  not  a  damned  soul." 

"Perhaps  we  have  our  price,"  Dalton  debated, 
"but  surely  it  is  not  always  written  in  figures." 

"I  grant  you  that;  but — it's  a  price,  all  the 
same." 

"Well?" 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  85 

The  Ambassador's  fist  came  down  with  a  bang. 
"Our  first  work  is  to  find  out  Stanlau's  price  .  .  ." 

And  now  I  come  to  the  only  unpleasant  episode 
which  has  occurred  since  we  arrived.  I  sincerely 
hope  that  it  will  not  be  repeated,  and  yet  I  feel 
pretty  certain  that  it  will  be;  not  only  that,  I  fear 
that  it  is  only  the  beginning  of  small  events  which 
may  lead  straight  up  to  some  big  crisis.  This  fear 
may  be  due  to  my  first  impression  of  Mrs.  Colborne 
and  the  conversation  I  overheard  between  her  and 
Comte  de  Stanlau.  She  is  not  very  clever  and  she 
is  inordinately  vain;  Comte  de  Stanlau  is  sharp 
enough  to  realize  this,  and  play  upon  it  to  his  own 
advantage — that  is,  if  he  is  unscrupulous.  I  don't 
say  he  is;  I  don't  know.  But  since  I  saw  that  cable 
and  know  his  power  in  this  country  I  find  myself 
looking  upon  his  rather  insistent  professions  of 
friendship  with  suspicion.  Mrs.  Colborne,  in  his 
hands,  would  be  mere  putty. 

We  were  still  discussing  Stanlau  when  some  one 
knocked  on  the  door.  Dalton  went  to  it,  unlocked 
it,  and  admitted  Mrs.  Colborne.  She  came  in, 
strikingly  handsome  in  magnificent  dark  sables, 
and  looked  at  us  with  surprise. 

"You  don't  appear  at  all  as  if  you  had  just  had 
an  audience  with  the  King,"  she  said,  advancing  to 
the  Ambassador  and  laying  her  hand  on  his  arm. 
"John — you  are  a  sight!  Your  hair  all  mussed! 
What  does  it  mean  ?  Any  one  would  think  something 
important  had  happened !" 


86  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

The  Ambassador  showed  very  frankly  that  he  was 
not  happy  at  the  interruption,  though  he  smiled  at 
his  wife  and  took  her  hand  in  his. 

"Something  important  has  happened,  Jenny." 

"Really!  What?"  Her  eyes  brightened  with 
curiosity. 

"I'll  tell  you  later."  He  moved  impatiently  to 
his  chair  and  sat  down.  "For  the  present — I've 
begun  work."  The  words  were  spoken  with  an  un 
mistakable  finality.  He  might  just  as  well  have 
said:  "Clear  out  and  leave  me  alone." 

Mrs.  Colborne  watched  him  a  second  or  two  in 
silence,  then,  quite  without  warning,  her  face 
flushed  and  her  eyes  gleamed  with  anger.  I  suppose 
it  was  a  bit  mortifying  to  her  to  have  us  see  him 
treat  her  so  indifferently;  still,  she  might  have  con 
trolled  herself. 

"You've  certainly  begun  being  very  cross,"  she 
finally  said.  Then,  seeing  the  cable  lying  before 
him,  she  moved  nearer.  "Is  this  the  cause  of  your 
ill-humor?"  She  pointed  to  the  sheet  of  paper 
on  which  Dalton  had  written  the  deciphered 
words. 

Dalton  came  swiftly  up  to  the  Ambassador  and 
held  out  his  hand.  "Shall  I  lock  the  message  in  the 
safe  now?" 

Mrs.  Colborne  looked  at  him  quickly,  drew  herself 
up  to  her  full  height,  and  smiled  frigidly.  "Are  you 
afraid  of  my  seeing  it,  Mr.  Dalton?" 

Dalton  flushed.  "It  is  only  political,  Mrs.  Col 
borne." 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  87 

The  Ambassador  picked  up  the  cable  and  began 
folding  it.  "It  wouldn't  interest  you,  Jenny." 

"You  don't  want  me  to  see  it,  John?  You  don't 
trust  me  sufficiently — you  and  Mr.  Dalton?"  She 
ended  with  rather  forced  laughter:  "Oh,  very  well, 
I  saw  enough  to  know  what  it's  about."  She  turned 
toward  the  door. 

"What  do  you  mean?"  asked  the  Ambassador, 
half  rising. 

Mrs.  Colborne  came  back,  still  smiling  through 
her  anger,  and  pointed  a  finger  at  the  Ambassador. 
"I  saw  one  word — of  seven  letters — Stanlau."  She 
broke  into  very  gay  laughter,  and  looked  from  the 
Ambassador  to  Dalton.  The  whole  proceeding  was 
very  much  like  a  child  playing  with  grown-ups,  and 
the  grown-ups  in  this  case  were  frankly  worried. 
"How  foolish  you  both  are.  If  you  only  knew  it, 
I  can  be  of  inestimable  help  to  you — if  it  is  a  question 
of  Comte  de  Stanlau!" 

"If  that's  the  case,"  said  the  Ambassador,  "we 
surely  will  need  your  help;  shan't  we,  Dalton? 
What's  your  proposition,  Jenny?" 

Mrs.  Colborne  looked  calmly  at  Dalton.  She  was 
still  smiling,  but  somehow  it  was  not  a  pleasant 
smile.  "I  prefer  to  tell  you  alone,  John." 

"Oh,  come.  We  aren't  going  to  have  any  secrets 
from  Dalton." 

"But  he  doesn't  believe  in  women  knowing  diplo 
matic  secrets;  do  you,  Mr.  Dalton?" 

She  had  rather  cleverly  turned  the  situation  to 
Dalton's  embarrassment.  He,  as  well  as  the  rest  of 


88  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

us,  knew  that  she  had  resented  his  first  motion  to 
remove  the  cable  before  she  had  seen  it,  and  that  her 
insistence  now,  though  spoken  with  all  the  outward 
semblance  of  pleasantry,  was  done  to  make  him  feel 
her  resentment. 

"That  is  a  question  for  the  Ambassador  to  de 
cide,"  Dalton  replied  with  dignity,  and  quietly  left 
the  room. 

I  was  following  him  when  Mrs.  Colborne  called 
to  me  and  said  she  did  not  intend  her  words  for  me; 
that  she  would  like  me  to  remain.  I  turned  back 
unwillingly.  Family  squabbles  are  never  amusing. 

She  loosened  her  sables,  laid  them  on  a  chair, 
glanced  at  the  Ambassador,  and  then  crossed  to  the 
window.  He  still  sat  before  the  desk,  both  arms 
stretched  out  before  him,  his  head  a  little  forward. 
His  expression  of  deep  annoyance  made  him  look 
much  older  than  I  had  ever  seen  him.  The  silence 
grew  embarrassing.  I  began  to  wonder  what  was 
going  to  happen. 

"Jenny,"  the  Ambassador  finally  spoke,  quietly 
but  with  determination,  "I  don't  like  this.  Dalton 
didn't  mean  any  harm." 

With  her  back  to  the  room  she  answered:  "He 
insulted  me!" 

"Nonsense!"  Then,  after  another  long  pause: 
"Well — if  you've  got  anything  to  say,  say  it!" 

Mrs.  Colborne  came  from  the  window  and  sat 
down  in  the  chair  near  the  desk. 

"Comte  de  Stanlau  is  in  love  with  Kate."  she 
said.  "He  wants  to  marry  her." 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  89 

The  Ambassador  made  an  impatient  gesture. 
"Fiddlesticks!  Kate  refused  him  in  Washington. 
She's  got  too  much  sense  to  marry  a  foreigner." 

"Still—  '  Mrs.  Colborne  began,  and  was  inter 
rupted  by  the  Ambassador  pushing  back  his  chair 
and  rising. 

"No.  I  see  what  you  mean.  But  my  daughter 
shall  never  be  mixed  up  in  anything  like  this." 

She  looked  at  him  in  astonishment;  then,  very 
slowly,  I  saw  the  tears  gather  in  her  eyes.  "So  you 
laugh  at  the  idea  of  my  helping  you,  John !" 

His  expression  changed  quickly.  He  laid  his  hand 
very  gently  on  her  shoulder  and  looked  down  at 
her.  "Jenny — this  is  man's  work.  I  don't  want  you 
to  be  worried  over  a  thing  while  we  are  here.  Don't 
you  see,  dear?" 

The  tears  were  streaming  down  her  face  now. 
She  evidently  regretted  the  whole  incident,  I  thought, 
until  her  next  words  convinced  me  that  it  was  not 
that  at  all. 

"But  you  refused  to  show  me  the  cable,  John. 
You  don't  really  trust  me.    If  it  is  important  and 
you  don't  want  me  to  see  it,  you  make  me  feel"- 
this  accompanied  by  a  sob — "as  if  you  were  putting 
me  out  of  your  life !" 

Of  course,  after  this,  there  was  only  one  thing  for 
him  to  do.  I  suppose  any  husband,  at  least  any 
American  husband,  would  have  done  the  same 
thing.  He  went  to  the  desk,  picked  up  the  cable, 
and  put  it  into  her  hand. 

At  this  moment  Arturo,  followed  by  the  maitre 


90  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

d'hotel,  entered,  with  another  attempt  at  furnishing 
a  high-ball.  This  time  he  had  succeeded.  There 
was  a  bottle  of  whiskey — unmistakably  rye — a 
siphon  of  seltzer,  and  four  tall,  regulation  high-ball 
glasses.  I  found  out  later  that  the  American  bar 
had  actually  been  requisitioned. 


VII 

December  15,  19 — . 

I  HAVE  taken  a  small  flat.  It  has  been  great  fun 
arranging  it.  At  first  it  was  a  serious  question 
whether  to  furnish  it  with  things  that  could  be 
found  here,  so-called  antiques,  or  try  to  keep  it 
American  in  effect.  Miss  Colborne  decided  the 
momentous  problem  by  saying  that  I  should  get  in 
closer  touch  with  the  traditions  and  customs  of  this 
country  if  I  surrounded  myself  with  the  furniture 
and  stuffs  it  had  produced;  a  suggestion,  I  think, 
which  threw  some  light  on  her  character.  She  came 
to  look  the  rooms  over,  accompanied  by  her  maid, 
an  elderly  woman  who  is  really  more  of  a  companion 
than  otherwise,  and  who  has  been  with  her  ever  since 
her  mother  died.  I  am  delighted  that  she  is  ob 
serving  the  conventions  of  this  place  and  not  going 
about  alone.  So  many  American  girls  maintain 
that  they  can  do  in  Europe  exactly  as  they  do  at 
home — appear  on  the  streets  alone,  and  do  many 
things  which  are  considered,  over  here,  to  show  a 
shocking  lack  of  appreciation  of  the  proprieties. 
Many  years  ago,  Henry  James  wrote  an  interesting 
exposition  of  this  situation  in  "Daisy  Miller." 
Unfortunately,  it  doesn't  appear  to  have  been  read 
to  advantage  by  many  young  American  women. 
I  suppose  it  all  comes  from  the  feeling  that  when 
one  is  away  from  home  one  is  neither  known  nor 

91 


92  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

criticised.  The  theory  is  quite  wrong.  The  belief, 
held  by  most  Europeans,  that  all  Americans  are 
vulgar,  is  created  by  our  careless  avoidance  of  all 
their  conventions.  Unfortunately,  correct  Amer 
icans  are  inconspicuous;  the  ostentatious  ones  are 
always  in  evidence;  thus  our  reputation  suffers. 
After  one  has  lived  over  here  for  a  little  while,  and 
approached  these  people  sympathetically,  one  be 
gins  to  understand  their  point  of  view.  Even  among 
the  lower  classes,  they  can  teach  us  a  simplicity  and 
modesty  that  makes  for  refinement. 

I  had  arranged  a  frugal  tea  in  my  bare  rooms  for 
Miss  Colborne.  We  had  a  jolly  time  planning  the 
decorations  of  the  flat.  She  grows  on  one  immensely. 
By  degrees  I  am  finding  out  something  about  her, 
I  mean  where  she  has  lived,  what  she  has  done,  what 
she  likes — little  details  which  make  our  understand 
ing  of  each  other  so  much  more  intimate.  She  is 
not  in  the  least  Western,  nor,  for  that  matter,  does 
she  suggest  any  special  section  of  the  United  States, 
as  most  of  us  do.  Try  as  hard  as  we  may,  nearly 
every  one  of  us  is  plainly  stamped  Eastern,  South 
ern,  or  Middle- Western.  Her  voice  is  charmingly 
modulated,  with  a  crisp  pronunciation  of  words  that 
is  distinguished;  her  carriage  and  appearance  are 
immensely  high-bred;  indeed,  she  shows  at  once 
gentle  breeding.  I  have  often  worried  over  finding 
a  good  definition  of  breeding.  It  is  quite  impossible 
to  make  it  precise.  To  say  that  it  means  good 
manners  is  quite  incorrect;  for  I  have  often  known 
people  with  atrocious  manners  who  were  unmistak- 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  93 

ably  well-bred.  Some  one  has  said  it  is  an  attitude. 
Perhaps  so.  It  seems  a  fairly  satisfactory  definition. 

"And  how  about  Comte  de  Stanlau,"  I  said, 
after  we  had  made  a  tour  of  the  rooms.  The  com 
panion,  with  admirable  sympathy,  had  remained  in 
another  room  to  inspect  my  books.  "Has  he  begun 
his,"  I  hesitated,  "his  suit?" 

She  flushed  and  laughed.  "I  suppose  you  thought 
me  frightfully  vulgar  the  other  day — saying  what  I 
did.  Somehow,  though,  I  feel  we  are  all  a  family 
here  in  a  foreign  land,  and  that  together  we  can  talk 
frankly.  Yes,"  with  a  sigh,  "I  suppose  one  might 
say  he  has  begun;  though  his  attentions  appear  to 
be  directed  chiefly  toward  my  stepmother.  He  sends 
her  flowers  every  day.  He  has  asked  me  to  ride  with 
him  several  times.  This  morning,"  she  looked  away, 
"I  did." 

"Perseverance  always  wins,"  I  said. 

"He  is  really  quite  interesting,"  she  went  on, 
"and  I  should  like  him  so  much  if— 

"Yes?" 

She  smiled  and  met  my  eyes  steadily.  "If  he 
would  only  realize  that  I  will  never  make  my  home 
anywhere  but  in  the  United  States." 

I  made  some  sententious  remark  about  a  woman 
never  thinking  of  where  she  was  going  to  live  when 
she  is  in  love. 

"Perhaps  not,"  she  admitted.  "One  never  knows 
what  one  would  do  in  a  special  case  until  that  case 
confronts  one.  But  I  have  two  friends  who  married 
in  England.  I  should  not  call  either  a  successful 


94  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

marriage;  though  they  were  both  love-matches. 
It  must  be  a  traditional  difference  in  us." 

"Then  there  is  no  chance  of  your  giving  up  your 
nationality?" 

She  answered  quite  seriously:  "Never!" 

"I'm  jolly  glad  to  hear  that!"  I  said,  probably 
with  more  ardor  than  I  intended,  for  when  I  had 
finished  I  found  her  looking  at  me  through  surprised 
and  serious  eyes. 

"Why?"  she  asked. 

I  tried  to  laugh  it  off.  I  didn't  know  myself  why 
I  had  said  it.  "Because,"  I  struggled  lamely,  "be 
cause  it  would  surely  break  your  father's  heart." 

She  left  soon  afterward,  remembering,  at  the  last, 
to  say  that  Mrs.  Colborne  expected  me  to  dinner 
that  night  to  discuss  their  first  reception.  .  .  . 

Both  Dalton  and  Atkins  were  at  dinner  that  eve 
ning.  It  was  the  first  time  I  had  seen  Dalton  with 
Mrs.  Colborne  since  the  contretemps  over  the  cable. 
He  had  told  me  that  she  had  written  him  a  note  of 
apology  the  same  day,  and  though  I  knew  he  still 
felt  rather  resentful  about  the  whole  matter,  he  is 
man  enough  to  overlook  it  and  make  the  best  of  the 
situation.  After  all,  if  we  are  going  to  live  here  in 
any  sort  of  harmony,  all  of  us  will  have  to  be  fairly 
kindly  disposed  toward  each  other.  That  is  one  side 
of  embassy  life  which  I  never  thought  of  until  I 
became  a  part  of  it.  Here  we  are,  a  group  of  people, 
living  a  rather  intimate  life,  seeing  each  other  every 
day,  and  bound  together  by  only  one  tie — that  of 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  95 

having  to  live  together.  The  assembling  was  en 
tirely  fortuitous.  The  Department  of  State,  un 
intentionally,  plays  the  role  of  Fate  in  many  such 
cases.  Appointments  appear  to  be  made  without 
any  thought  being  given  to  "team- work."  An  am 
bassador  is  chosen  for  political  reasons,  secretaries 
are  promoted  through  merit  or  senatorial  influence, 
and  the  often  heterogeneous  mass  is  thrown  together 
and  expected  to  fight  it  out  successfully  among 
themselves.  On  the  whole,  I  think  we  are  hitting  it 
off  fairly  well.  This  is  due,  however,  to  certain 
broad,  tolerant  qualities  in  the  Ambassador.  He  is 
determined  to  be  fair  and  just  with  us  all,  and  I  be 
lieve  he  expects  us  to  maintain  this  attitude  toward 
him.  Even  to  Atkins,  whom  I  thought  he  would 
find  insupportable,  he  is  consistently  polite  and  even 
friendly.  And  as  for  the  note  which  his  wife  wrote 
Dalton.  there  is  no  doubt  that  it  was  written  at  his 
express  insistence. 

The  conversation  at  dinner  was  as  usual  on  some 
phase  of  this  eternal  diplomatic  question.  After 
the  Ambassador  had  been  received  by  the  King 
he  made  the  official  calls  on  his  colleagues,  the  Am 
bassadors  from  other  countries.  Only  Dalton  ac 
companied  him,  so  I  only  know  of  them  at  second 
hand,  though  there  appears  to  have  been  nothing 
specially  interesting  in  connection  with  these  calls. 
Since  then  the  colleagues  have  been  returning  the 
calls,  and  almost  every  morning  we  have  the  ex 
citement  of  Arturo  signalling  the  arrival  of  his  Ex 
cellency,  the  Ambassador  of  Great  Britain,  et  cetera, 


96  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

et  cetera.  Mrs.  Colborne  has  had  an  audience  with 
the  Queen.  She  was  accompanied  by  Miss  Colborne, 
and  from  their  description  it  was  an  even  simpler 
function  than  when  we  were  presented  to  the  King. 
It  took  place  in  the  afternoon;  they  wore  afternoon 
gowns  and  hats,  and  were  received  by  the  Queen 
and  two  ladies  in  waiting.  Mrs.  Colborne  declared 
the  Queen  a  frump  and  gave  quite  an  amusing  de 
scription  of  her  costume;  Miss  Colborne  found  her 
very  sweet  and  gentle.  Since  her  audience  Mrs. 
Colborne  has  been  taken  by  the  doyenne  of  the  diplo 
matic  corps — who  happens  just  now  to  be  the  wife 
of  the  British  Ambassador — to  call  on  the  wives  of 
the  Ambassadors.  So  that,  on  the  whole,  one 
might  say  that  we  are  fully  launched  on  our  career. 
I  have  shot  cards  on  what  might  be  termed  my  col 
leagues,  the  secretaries — there  are  about  fifty  of 
them,  I'm  sure — and  now  invitations  are  beginning 
to  pour  in. 

The  all-important  question  of  the  moment  is  the 
Ambassador's  official  reception.  He  is  inclined  to 
resent  the  small  part  he  is  permitted  to  play  in  it. 
The  Grand  Master  of  Ceremonies  called  a  few  days 
ago,  asked  him  when  he  would  like  to  give  his  official 
reception,  and  said  that  he  would  be  glad  at  any  time 
to  send  him  the  list  of  guests  to  be  invited. 

"I  never  heard  of  such  cheek  as  that!  It  fairly 
knocked  the  breath  out  of  me,"  the  Ambassador  said 
at  dinner,  once  more  going  over  the  whole  episode. 
"  As  if  I  didn't  know  whom  to  ask  to  my  own  house ! " 

"But  we  don't  know,  John,"  said  Mrs.  Colborne. 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  97 

"We  haven't  met  any  of  the  Court  set.  This  is 
our  way  of  meeting  them.  I  think  it's  delightfully 
simple.  We  come  to  a  new  place,  quite  unknown, 
and  want  to  know  the  best  people;  don't  we?  Well 
—the  Grand  Master  of  Ceremonies  arranges  it  all 
for  us.  We  can't  make  any  mistakes.  We  invite 
only  the  people  he  tells  us  to." 

"Hanged  if  I'll  stand  for  it,"  said  the  Ambassador. 
"Why,  I  might  as  well  not  have  anything  to  do  with 
it!" 

"Oh,  your  chance  comes,  sir,"  Atkins  cut  in. 
"You  pay  the  bills!" 

"They  do  let  me  do  that,  do  they!  Well,  I'll  do 
more.  I'll  ask  the  Court  set  if  I've  got  to,  but  I'll 
also  ask  all  the  Americans  here." 

Mrs.  Colborne  held  up  her  hands.  "John,  dear, 
we  must  follow  the  customs  of  this  place.  This 
isn't  America." 

"So  much  the  worse  for  it,"  growled  the  Am 
bassador.  "I'm  determined  to  have  all  the  Amer 
icans  in  town.  The  rest  you  can  manage  just  as 
you  please;  only  leave  me  out  of  the  folderol  part 
as  much  as  possible." 

The  discussion  ended  with  Dalton  being  given 
instructions  by  the  Ambassador  to  see  that  all  the 
Americans  who  had  left  cards  were  invited. 

When  we  had  returned  to  the  drawing-room,  or 
withdrawing-room,  as  Atkins  calls  it,  Arturo  came 
in  with  a  tray  filled  with  cards  and  invitations. 
Mrs.  Colborne  seated  herself  at  a  small  table  and 
examined  them  all  with  great  care  and  greater 


98  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

satisfaction.  There  was  an  invitation  for  dinner 
from  the  Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs  and  one  from 
the  British  Ambassadress. 

"Comtesse  de  Stanlau  tells  me,"  Mrs.  Colborne 
said,  still  holding  the  latter  invitation  in  her  hand, 
"that  the  British  Embassy  has  always  been  the 
smartest  here.  She  also  told  me,  quite  confidentially, 
that  the  American  Embassy  has  never  been  con 
sidered  of  much  importance." 

"Which  only  goes  to  prove  that  the  Comtesse 
doesn't  know  what  she  is  talking  about,"  com 
mented  the  Ambassador,  looking  up  from  a  fort 
night-old  American  paper.  "I  sized  her  up  the 
first  time  I  saw  her.  She's  what  we  call  at  home,  a 
piker.  Any  woman  who  would  have  the  cheek  to 
ask  one  thousand  francs  a  week  for  what  she  pre 
tends  to  do  for  you  would  say  anything." 

Evidently  Atkins  has  been  successful  in  getting 
the  position  for  her.  This  was  the  first  I  had  heard 
of  it,  and  it  was  quite  evident  from  Mrs.  Colborne's 
face  that  she  had  not  intended  us  to  know  about 
the  arrangement.  She  flushed  and  looked  swiftly 
around  the  circle. 

"That  is  quite  confidential,  John.  I  did  not  want 
any  one  to  know  about  it." 

"It  is  not  an  excessive  price,"  Atkins  was  quick 
to  put  in.  "In  Paris,  many  of  the  smart  women  of 
the  noblesse  demand  that  much  before  they  will 
appear  at  your  house  for  dinner.  Of  course,  it  is 
only  their  method  of  raising  money  for  their  char 
ities,  just  as  it  is  with  Comtesse  de  Stanlau." 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  99 

The  Ambassador  smiled.  "The  sort  of  charity 
that  begins  at  home." 

Dalton  told  me  later,  a  propos  of  the  British 
Embassy,  that  the  Comtesse  de  Stanlau  was  quite 
correct.  In  the  first  place,  he  said,  they  have  a 
permanent  residence  here,  which  is  owned  by  the 
Government.  That,  in  itself,  gives  a  certain  cachet, 
which  we  lack.  When  an  American  ambassador 
arrives  he  usually  spends  a  month  or  two  with  a 
real-estate  agent  trying  to  find  a  furnished  house 
which  he  can  rent  for  four  years.  Again,  British 
Ambassadors,  as  well  as  practically  all  others  except 
our  own,  are  men  who  have  made  diplomacy  their 
life-work;  they  are  left  often  for  ten  years  in  one 
place,  which  gives  them  an  opportunity  to  know 
every  one  fairly  well  and  become  a  part  of  the  life 
of  that  place;  whereas  an  American  ambassador  is 
hardly  installed  before  his  successor  arrives.  This 
has  been  our  custom  now  for  so  many  years  that 
the  people  of  a  capital  have  become  almost  in 
different  about  knowing  us,  asserting  that  it  is 
hardly  worth  while,  as  to-morrow  we  shall  be 
gone. 

"Listen  to  this,"  Mrs.  Colborne  exclaimed,  after 
having  opened  the  last  envelope.  "It  surpasses  any 
thing  I've  yet  received !"  She  read  the  note  aloud: 

DEAR  MRS.  COLBORNE: 

I  have  just  come  back  to  town  and  hear  you  have  arrived. 
I  shall  be  in  to-morrow  afternoon  about  five  to  see  you. 
Believe  me,  most  cordially  your  friend, 

MRS.  CARRY  HAYNES. 


ioo  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

Atkins  doubled  up  in  his  chair  and  roared  with 
laughter. 

"Who  is  the  woman?  Do  you  know  her?"  asked 
Mrs.  Colborne. 

"She's  the  Consul's  wife!"  Atkins  cried. 

"A  nice  old  man,  Haynes;  came  to  see  me  the 
other  day.  From  Texas."  The  Ambassador  laid 
aside  his  paper  and  looked  at  Atkins.  "What's 
so  funny  about  it?" 

"John,  dear,  women,  in  writing  to  each  other, 
don't  sign  themselves  Mrs.  Carry  Haynes!" 

"You're  getting  too  particular,  Jenny.  That  may 
be  the  way  they  do  it  in  Texas." 

"She  must  be  quite  impossible,"  Mrs.  Colborne 
said. 

"Impossible!  That  isn't  the  word,"  Atkins  went 
on,  laughing.  "She's  improbable!  All  consuls' 
wives  are.  Wait  till  you've  seen  a  few  of  them." 

The  Ambassador  rose  quietly,  but  I  could  see  by 
the  look  in  his  eyes  that  he  was  displeased. 

"Look  here,  young  man,"  he  said  to  Atkins,  "it 
seems  to  me  that  you'd  be  ashamed  to  be  known 
as  an  American." 

Atkins  met  his  eyes  squarely.  "Many  times  I 
am,  sir." 

"Then  why  don't  you  become  a  naturalized  Dago 
or  Turk?  We  might  bring  ourselves  to  spare  you. 
I  don't  mean  to  hurt  your  feelings,  but  sometimes 
you  make  me  mighty  tired.  I'm  going  to  tell  you 
something  right  now  and  I  want  you  to  put  it  in 
your  pipe  and  smoke  it.  If  you  can't  find  some  way 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  101 

of  being  proud  of  your  own  country-people  I  don't 
think  this  Embassy  is  the  place  for  you."  He  said 
It  in  a  much  pleasanter  way  than  it  sounds,  and, 
without  waiting  for  Atkins  to  reply  and  perhaps 
with  the  intention  of  relieving  him  from  embarrass 
ment,  he  crossed  to  his  wife  and  took  Mrs.  Carry 
Haynes's  letter  from  her  hand.  "Write  to  this 
lady,  Jenny,  and  tell  her  to  be  sure  to  come  in  to 
morrow." 

"I  shall  do  nothing  of  the  sort,  John.  I'm  not 
going  to  bore  myself  with  tiresome,  provincial  peo 
ple  like  her.  Besides,  a  consul's  wife  never  goes  in 
the  Court  set." 

The  Ambassador  looked  at  her  through  a  short 
silence,  and  then  responded:  "The  Court  set  be 
hanged !  By  Golly !  What's  the  matter  with  all  of 
you !  I've  a  great  mind  to  ship  the  whole  lot  of  you 
home.  You  no  sooner  get  over  here  than  you  get 
ashamed  of  the  place  you  come  from.  Kitty,  stop 
your  laughing  and  write  that  lady  a  note.  The 
next  thing  I  know  you'll  be  telling  me  you  want  to 
marry  one  of  those  Court  blackguards ! " 

Kate  Colborne  and  I  up  to  this  time  had  been 
only  very  good  listeners.  The  Ambassador's  out 
burst  had  struck  us  both  as  being  humorous.  His 
seriousness  made  it  all  the  funnier.  I  had  tried 
not  to  laugh,  but  when  I  had  seen  her  doing  it 
quite  frankly,  I  joined  in,  too.  It  really  was  very 
funny;  not  only  his  outburst,  but  the  expressions  of 
the  others.  Mrs.  Colborne's  annoyance,  Atkins's 
sullen  silence,  and  Dalton's  carefully  maintained 


102  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

aloofness.  It  was  very  much  like  a  group  of  school 
children  who  had  mutinied  against  their  master. 

Kate  rose  at  her  father's  command  and  went  to  a 
writing-table.  "What  shall  I  say  to  her,  father?" 
she  asked,  with  a  mischievous  glance  at  the  rest  of 
us. 

"Tell  her  anything  you  please,"  said  the  Ambas 
sador,  "just  so  you  make  it  polite." 

Mrs.  Colborne  had  risen,  impatient  and  restless. 

"John,"  she  said,  "I  will  not  see  this  woman! 
From  her  note  I  can  see  she  is  nothing  but  a  very 
second-class  American  and  has  no  position  here  at 
all." 

"She's  American:  that's  enough  for  me.  As  for 
position — she  has  got  a  heap  better  one  in  my  es 
timation  than  all  your  duchesses  and  marquises !" 

"  If  you  invite  her  to  the  house  you'll  have  to  see 
her  yourself ! " 

"Very  well,  I'll  do  that;  furthermore,  I'll  give  her 
the  nicest  time  I  know  how.  Kitty,  you  see  to  it. 
Order  tea  and  lemonade  and  ice-cream,  and  any 
thing  else  that  Mrs.  Haynes  might  like." 

"I  should  suggest  buttermilk  and  hot  biscuits," 
said  Atkins,  "if  you  really  want  to  make  her  feel 
at  home." 

The  Ambassador  turned  on  him.  "And,  by 
George,  I'd  rather  have  that  than  anything  I've 
had  since  I  came  here.  And  if  you've  made  any 
engagements  to  ride,"  he  went  on  to  Kate,  "with  the 
Count  this  or  the  Prince  that,  cut  'em  all  out.  I'm 
getting  sick  and  tired  of  titles,  anyhow.  And  you, 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  103 

gentlemen,"  he  swept  us  all  with  an  irate  look,  "I 
expect  all  of  you  to  be  here  to  help  me.  No  excuses 
accepted;  do  you  hear?  If  an  American  lady  wants 
to  come  to  this  Embassy  she's  going  to  be  received 
with  all  the  hospitality  I'm  able  to  show.  It  doesn't 
make  a  bit  of  difference  if  she  signs  herself  Miss, 
Mrs.,  or  Madam.  Do  you  understand?  .  .  ." 

Comte  de  Stanlau  came  in  about  ten  o'clock. 
The  Ambassador  tried  to  get  him  off  for  a  private 
talk  in  his  smoking-room,  but  Stanlau  had  no  inten 
tion  of  leaving  the  ladies.  His  attitude  toward 
Kate  is  getting  rather  objectionable.  I  don't  mind 
a  man  showing  that  he  admires  a  woman,  but  there's 
no  necessity  for  him  to  look  at  her  as  if  he  were 
going  to  eat  her  up  at  any  moment.  And,  for  all 
her  professions  about  preferring  Americans,  I  be 
lieve  she  is  beginning  to  like  him. 


VIII 

December  17,  19 — . 

THE  business  of  returning  cards — "shooting" 
them,  as  Atkins  calls  it — and  the  registering  and  in 
dexing  of  names  and  addresses  of  each  caller  has 
grown  to  such  proportions  that  I  find  I  am  obliged 
to  come  an  hour  earlier  in  the  mornings  to  accom 
plish  anything  at  all.  I  have  tried  to  arrange  this 
part  of  the  Embassy  work  systematically,  though 
system  has  never  been  my  strong  point.  I  have  a 
large  rubric  book  for  the  registering  of  callers;  an 
other  for  invitations  with  space  enough  to  record 
the  persons  met  at  such  and  such  a  dinner  and  any 
remarks  on  the  subject  that  might  be  useful;  a 
third  book  for  dinners  and  receptions  which  are  to 
be  given  at  the  Embassy,  containing  special  pages 
with  a  diagram  of  the  table,  showing  the  names  of 
the  guests  and  how  they  are  placed.  I  have  also  an 
adjustable  placement  board,  it  can  be  used  for  a  din 
ner  of  eight  or  for  one  of  one  hundred  and  twenty. 
Heaven  preserve  me  from  having  to  seat  correctly 
the  latter  number!  The  question  of  placement  ap 
pears  to  be  more  vital  than  any  other — and  quite 
beyond  me.  It  seems  to  begin  with  the  nationality 
of  the  host  and  is  not  ended  when  the  least  im 
portant  guest's  chauffeur  is  considered.  I  am  doing 
my  best  to  master  the  subject,  aided  materially  by 
Atkins,  who  insists  that  he  knows  it  au  fond. 

104 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  105 

While  I  was  industriously  assorting  cards  in  the 
room  which  the  Ambassador  uses  after  dinner  for  a 
smoking-room,  Kate  Colborne  came  in,  dressed  for 
riding.  I  had  not  seen  her  before  in  this  costume; 
it  was  vastly  becoming.  She  sat  down  in  one  of  the 
high-backed  cinquecento  chairs  with  which  this 
room  is  furnished,  and  with  her  crop  held  in  both 
hands,  looked  at  me  with  a  certain  amused  inquiry. 

"Have  you  seen  father  this  morning?" 

I  shook  my  head,  immediately  anxious. 

"He's  feeling  much  better." 

I  expressed  my  relief. 

"However,  I  shouldn't  fail  to  appear  this  after 
noon  to  welcome  Mrs.  Carry  Haynes." 

I  assured  her  that  I  had  no  intention  of  being  a 
delinquent;  then  we  were  silent  a  few  minutes. 

"Going  riding,  I  suppose,"  I  commented  at  last. 

"Yes.  Can't  you  go  with  me?  I  wish  you  could. 
Leave  the  cards  till  later." 

I  looked  at  her  to  see  how  sincere  she  was.  But  a 
man  can  never  tell.  She  said  it  and  looked  as  if 
she  really  meant  it.  I  wish  I  could  believe  she 
did. 

"Are  you  going  alone?"  I  asked. 

"No." 

"With  whom?" 

"My  groom — and— 

"Comte  de  Stanlau?" 

She  nodded. 

"You  are  beginning  to  like  him  very  much, 
aren't  you?" 


io6  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

She  looked  down  and  patted  her  boot  with  the 
crop.  "  I  have  always  liked  him."  She  put  a  slight 
emphasis  on  the  word  liked. 

"You  are  with  him  practically  all  the  time. 
You  ride  with  him — talk  with  him " 

She  looked  up  quickly.  "I  would  ride  with  you, 
too,  if  you  would  ask  me;  and  surely  I  talk  to  you 
more  than  I  do  to  Comte  de  Stanlau." 

I  hate  that  sort  of  evasion,  and  I  practically  told 
her  so.  "Every  one  seems  to  be  the  same  to  you. 
I  don't  see  why  you  need  go  out  of  your  way  to  be 
so  awfully  nice  to  Stanlau." 

She  was  a  little  astonished  and  greatly  amused 
at  my  answer.  "But,"  she  protested,  "Mr.  Dalton 
told  me  I  must  be  as  nice  as  possible  to  him." 

This  made  me  still  more  peevish.  She  quotes 
Dalton  entirely  too  often;  and  since  his  little  froisse- 
meni  with  her  stepmother  she  has  gone  out  of  her 
way  to  be  attentive  to  him.  It  may  be  at  the  in 
stigation  of  her  father  and  done  as  a  sort  of  sop  to 
Dalton's  wounded  feelings;  all  the  same,  I  don't  see 
why  that  should  be  necessary,  particularly  as  Dalton 
is  falling  desperately  in  love  with  her.  Any  one  can 
see  that  who  observes  them  together. 

"I  suppose  you  do  have  to  be  indiscriminately  nice 
to  people,"  I  grumbled.  "But — somehow " 

"Yes?" 

"I  hate  to  feel  that  your  manner  to  him  is  ex 
actly  the  same  as  it  is  to  me — when  it  isn't  nice." 

She  let  a  short  silence  pass  between  us.  When 
she  spoke,  her  eyes  were  lowered.  "Ought  I,  as  a 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  107 

diplomatist's  daughter,  to  show  my  preferences?" 
she  asked  innocently. 

I  pushed  the  cards  aside  and  went  to  her. 

"Kate — "  I  began;  but  she  didn't  let  me  finish. 
Before  I  had  said  another  word  she  had  rushed  out 
of  the  room,  laughing. 

I  wonder  if  every  man  has  the  feeling,  when  he 
is  falling  in  love,  that  the  woman  is  only  flirting  with 
him!  I  have  been  experiencing  this  miserable,  un 
certain,  suspicious,  unendurable  sensation  all  the 
past  week.  I  wish  I  could  take  it  a  little  more 
lightly;  but  I  can't.  I've  tried  and  failed.  I  shall  be 
quite  impossible  to  live  with  until  I  know  whether 
Kate  is  only  amusing  herself  at  my  expense  or  really 
liking  me  a  little.  We  are  so  congenial  that  I  have 
the  awful  fear  that  she  only  finds  me  a  bon  camarade 
and  is  thinking  of  nothing  more.  But  she  shan't 
think  only  that;  and  I'm  going  to  tell  her  at  once 
that  it's  far  from  being  my  thought.  This  morning 
was  only  the  beginning.  I'm  going  to  follow  it  up 
with  very  definite  statements.  And,  damn  that 
Comte  de  Stanlau ! — damn  Dalton,  too  !  .  .  . 

Promptly  at  five  the  Ambassador  and  Kate, 
Dalton,  Atkins,  and  I  assembled  in  the  drawing- 
room.  Mrs.  Colborne  sent  word  that  she  was 
suffering  from  a  very  severe  headache. 

Kate  seated  herself  at  the  tea-table;  before  I 
could  get  it,  Dalton  had  taken  the  chair  beside  her; 
Atkins  yawned  in  the  most  comfortable  chair  in  the 
room;  and  the  Ambassador  walked  up  and  down  the 


io8  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

floor,  hands  clasped  behind  him,  head  forward  in 
deep  thought.  He  has  been  giving  all  of  his  atten 
tion  during  the  past  few  days  to  what  might  be 
called  the  raison  d'etre  of  his  appointment.  He  has 
had  some  important  interviews  on  the  subject  with 
the  Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs;  he  has  also  met 
several  of  the  leaders  in  Parliament,  and  had  a  long 
visit  this  morning  with  the  Prime  Minister.  He 
has  said  nothing  to  me  about  it  but  I  can  tell  from 
his  preoccupation  that  things  are  not  going  very 
smoothly.  He  may  be  realizing  that  the  success  of 
the  question  is  doubtful.  Heretofore  he  has  not 
admitted  such  a  possibility.  His  almost  depressed 
expression  would  suggest  such  a  realization. 

Kate  busied  herself  with  the  tea-things,  and  did 
not  bother  about  the  rest  of  us.  We  were  all  rather 
silent.  When  the  water  was  boiling  she  made  the 
tea,  poured  out  a  cup,  and  held  it  toward  her  father. 

"If  you  are  going  to  invite  ladies  to  tea,  father," 
she  said,  "you  must  learn  how  to  drink  it  with 
them.  Otherwise,  they  will  say  you  are  not  hos 
pitable." 

He  stopped  and  looked  down  at  her,  smiling.  I 
like  to  see  him  look  at  her.  It  invariably  brings  out 
a  very  gentle,  very  lovable  side  of  his  character. 

"You  know,  Kitty,  I  never  drank  a  cup  of  tea  in 
my  life,"  he  said. 

"You've  never  been  Ambassador  before,  either," 
she  answered,  still  holding  the  cup  out  to  him  and 
meeting  his  eyes  affectionately.  "And  every  one 
says  that  tea-drinking  is  the  first  requisite." 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  109 

He  pushed  a  chair  close  to  hers,  sat  down,  took 
the  cup  of  tea,  inspected  it  dubiously,  then  looked 
at  her.  "You  really  want  me  to  do  it,  Kitty?" 

"I  do,  father." 

"Why?" 

"Because  I  want  you  to  be,"  she  tried  to  keep  her 
expression  serious,  "a  perfect  ambassador." 

"So  this  is  the  finishing  touch,  is  it?"  He  held 
the  cup  in  his  hand.  "Old  maid's  dissipation.  Well 
— here  it  goes."  He  drained  the  cup  with  one 
swallow,  put  it  down,  and  made  a  wry  face. 

"And  now,"  she  said,  "one  thing  more — a  ciga 
rette."  I  offered  my  case.  "No,  yours  are  too 
strong.  He  must  have  a  delicately  scented  one  with 
a  gold  tip.  Mr.  Atkins  has  the  kind  I  mean." 

Atkins  came  forward  with  his  case.  She  took  a 
cigarette  and,  rising,  leaned  toward  her  father. 

"  Stop  your  fooling,  Kitty.  If  I  drink  a  whole  cup 
of  tea  and  then  smoke  a  nasty  cigarette  I'll  have  to 
go  to  bed  and  send  for  a  doctor." 

She  shook  her  head  and  smiled  with  determina 
tion.  In  the  end  she  got  the  cigarette  between  his 
lips  and  held  a  lighted  match  to  it.  He  inhaled  the 
smoke  and  smiled  at  her.  He  was  enjoying  it  im 
mensely — her  playing  with  him  this  way. 

"Like  to  see  what  you  can  do  with  me,  you  ras 
cal!"  he  laughed  easily.  "Well — satisfied  now?" 

She  considered  him  thoughtfully.  "Not  quite. 
Oh,  I  know.  Mr.  Atkins,  give  me  your  monocle." 
She  placed  the  monocle  in  the  Ambassador's  eye  and, 
clapping  her  hands  gayly,  sank  back  in  her  chair. 


no  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

"Come,"  she  cried,  "and  see  his  Excellency,  the 
Honorable  John  T.  Colborne,  Ambassador  Extraor 
dinary  and  Minister  Plenipotentiary  of  the  United 
States  of  America!" 

The  striking  part  of  the  whole  thing  was  the  ex 
traordinary  difference  a  cigarette  and  a  monocle 
made  in  his  appearance.  It  at  once  gave  him  a 
gayer,  lighter  air;  it  lifted  him  out  of  a  middle-aged, 
solid,  dignified  gentleman  into  an  almost  smart  man 
of  the  world. 

"You  look  quite  English,  sir,"  commented  Atkins. 

"Which  is  exactly  what  I  don't  want  to  look," 
said  the  Ambassador,  tossing  aside  both  cigarette 
and  monocle. 

In  the  midst  of  this  scene  the  footman  announced 
Mrs.  Haynes. 

If  the  poor,  unfortunate  woman  had  known  what 
comment  her  visit  had  created,  I  doubt  if  she  would 
ever  have  come  to  the  Embassy.  She  entered  the 
room  and  stopped  timidly  near  the  door.  Kate  went 
quickly  to  her  with  outstretched  hand. 

"I  am  Kate  Colborne,"  she  said,  "the  Ambas 
sador's  daughter.  I  am  very  glad  to  meet  you." 
Still  holding  her  hand,  Kate  turned  to  her  father. 
"And  this  is  my  father,  Mrs.  Haynes." 

Kate  managed  it  very  gracefully,  even  sweetly, 
in  her  manner  to  the  unfortunate  Mrs.  Haynes.  I 
use  the  adjective  unfortunate  advisedly.  There  was 
something  about  Mrs.  Haynes  that  struck  one  at 
once  as  pitiful.  She  was  a  small  woman,  very  badly 
dressed — a  home-made  attempt  at  some  exaggerated 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  in 

fashion — I  remember  somehow  a  combination  of 
bright  colors  and  cheap  lace — her  face  was  pale, 
carelessly  powdered,  and  looked  inexpressibly  weary. 
Indeed,  her  whole  personality  was  one  of  weariness. 
Not  that  she  was — at  least,  I  don't  see  why  she 
should  have  been — but  this  effect  was  so  pronounced 
that  as  I  looked  at  her  I  felt  a  wave  of  weariness 
sweep  over  me. 

We  were  all  duly  presented  to  her. 

"Mighty  glad  to  know  you,  Mrs.  Haynes,"  said 
the  Ambassador.  "Have  a  chair." 

Mrs.  Haynes  glanced  timidly  about  the  room.  "I 
came  to  see  your  wife,  Mr.  Colborne.  Isn't  she 
here?" 

"I'm  sorry,  madam,"  he  answered.  "Won't  I 
do? — or  some  of  us  here?" 

"Where  is  your  wife?"  Mrs.  Haynes  evidently 
was  not  to  be  put  off,  in  spite  of  her  timidity. 

"She  has  a  bad  headache,"  Kate  hastily  explained, 
"and  asked  me  to  make  her  apologies.  She  is  very 
sorry  not  to  be  able  to  see  you." 

The  Ambassador  pushed  a  chair  close  to  the  table 
and  Mrs.  Haynes  sat  down.  She  arranged  her 
skirts  carefully,  crossed  her  hands  in  her  lap,  and 
looked  up  at  the  Ambassador. 

"Mr.  Colborne,  are  you  happy  here?"  she  asked. 

The  question  came  sharp  and  direct  out  of  the 
silence  which  had  followed  getting  her  seated.  It 
caught  all  of  us  unprepared,  and,  most  of  all,  the 
Ambassador.  He  looked  at  her  quickly  and  then 
coughed. 


112            THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 
"  Well— madam— I " 


"I  mean,"  Mrs.  Haynes  went  on,  "wouldn't  you 
lots  rather  be  at  home?" 

"  There's  no  doubt  about  that,  madam."  The  Am 
bassador's  voice  was  convincing  enough  on  this  point. 

"I  certainly  am  glad  to  hear  somebody  say  it." 
Mrs.  Haynes  sighed  and  settled  a  little  less  uncom 
fortably  into  her  chair.  "I'm  just  dying  of  home 
sickness  myself.  I've  been  out  of  the  States  going 
on  two  years  now — and  I  tell  you  it's  just  awful, 
Mr.  Colborne.  I'm  real  lonely — all  the  time.  If  I 
could  just  see  Kraco  once  more — that's  my  home 
town,  Kraco,  Texas,  you  know — I'd  be  willing  most 
to  die.  All  this  stuff  they  tell  you  about  Europe  is 
just  pure  foolishness.  What  do  I  care  about  all 
these  ugly  old  pictures,  and  churches,  and  broken- 
down  buildings,  if  I  haven't  got  friends  to  visit 
with!" 

Her  voice  was  plaintive;  indeed,  it  was  more  than 
that;  there  was  something  quite  touching  about  the 
recital  of  her  situation.  Listening  to  her,  I  could 
not  help  feeling  that  being  so  misplaced — it  was 
nothing  more  nor  less  than  that — was  almost  a 
tragedy  for  the  poor  woman.  Nothing  is  more  dis 
mal  than  to  be  in  uncongenial  surroundings. 

I  saw  Kate's  face  soften  sympathetically.  "Why 
don't  you  go  back  home,  Mrs.  Haynes?" 

"I  couldn't  think  of  leaving  Mr.  Haynes.  He's 
just  as  miserable  as  me." 

"Both  of  you  go,  madam,"  said  the  Ambassador. 

The  lines  in  the  withered  face  deepened.     "We 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  113 

can't  do  that.  Mr.  Haynes  is  old  and  he  can't 
begin  all  over  again.  When  they  gave  him  this  job 
we  sold  our  home.  We  haven't  any  place  to  go  back 
to.  Everybody  told  us,  after  we  got  over  here  we'd 
like  it  so  much  we  wouldn't  ever  want  to  come  back 
home.  I  guess  I'd  like  it  more  if  I  knew  anybody. 
But  I  don't;  and  it's  terrible  Ipnesome.  Why,  Mr. 
Colborne,  as  I  was  saying,  I've  been  here  going  on 
two  years  and  will  you  believe  it,  not  a  living  soul 
has  called  on  me  yet!" 

The  Ambassador's  face  expressed  his  regret; 
Kate  remained  sympathetically  silent.  It  remained 
for  Atkins  to  break  the  silence.  He  rose  and  came 
a  little  nearer. 

"Probably  you  don't  know  it,"  he  said,  for  him 
quite  gently,  "but  it  is  the  custom  in  this  place  for 
the  new  arrivals  to  make  the  first  call." 

Mrs.  Haynes  lifted  her  head  with  a  first  show  of 
spirit.  It  was  a  great  relief  to  find  something  which 
made  her  less  dismal. 

"Who  ever  heard  of  a  stranger  calling  first!"  she 
looked  at  Atkins  as  if  deeply  offended  by  the  sug 
gestion.  "If  that's  what  they  are  waiting  for,  they 
can  wait !"  This  was  accompanied  by  a  toss  of  the 
head  that  was  actually  vigorous. 

"But  it  is  the  custom  here,  Mrs.  Haynes,"  Kate 
said,  careful  to  make  her  voice  conciliating.  "When 
one  meets  a  resident  here  one  leaves  a  card  at  once." 

"Within  twenty-four  hours,"  Atkins  put  in. 
"Otherwise — one  shows  one's  ignorance  of  good  us 
age." 


114  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

Kate  frowned  him  into  silence  and  turned  back 
to  Mrs.  Haynes.  "After  that  the  resident  returns 
the  card,  and  eventually  you  are  invited  to  their 
houses.  I  have  been  very  careful  to  observe  this 
custom.  It  is  expected." 

Mrs.  Haynes  listened  with  growing  incredulity. 
"Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  your  mother  does 
that?" 

"My  stepmother's  case  is  a  little  different.  She 
is  an  ambassadress;  but  even  she  has  to  leave  cards 
first  on  officials  and  colleagues.  But  I  assure  you 
for  others  it  is  quite  right  to  make  the  first  call." 

I  don't  think  Mrs.  Haynes  was  in  the  least  con 
vinced.  In  fact,  her  answer  showed  it. 

"Well — I,  for  one,  am  not  going  to  encourage  them 
in  any  such  foolishness.  Why,  if  I  met  a  lady  and 
went  right  off  and  called  on  her,  I'd  feel  exactly 
like  I  was  begging  her  to  ask  me  to  a  party.  I  think 
that  would  be  just  terrible.  Don't  you,  Mr.  Col- 
borne?" 

"They've  got  a  lot  of  queer  ways  of  doing  things 
over  here,  madam,"  he  replied.  "I  don't  bother 
with  'em.  Leave  all  that  foolishness  to  my  wife  and 
Kitty." 

"They  tell  me,"  Mrs.  Haynes  went  on  more 
placidly,  "that  the  whole  trouble  is  because  Mr. 
Haynes  and  I  have  never  been  introduced  to  the 
King  and  Queen.  They  say  they  sort  of  size  you 
up  by  that  over  here.  The  Ambassador  before  you 
wouldn't  introduce  us  because  he  said  a  consul  and 
his  wife  weren't  allowed  in  the  Palace." 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  115 

The  Ambassador  gave  an  impatient  laugh.  "Evi 
dently  he  didn't  know  his  business!" 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  sir/'  Dalton  had  leaned  closer 
to  the  Ambassador  and  lowered  his  voice.  "Con 
suls  and  their  wives  are  not  presented  at  Court." 

"I'd  like  to  know  why?"  said  the  Ambassador, 
bristling. 

"Their  position  is  commercial." 

"And  what's  mine?" 

"Diplomatic." 

Mrs.  Haynes  had  listened  with  alertness.  With 
her  heart  in  a  subject  she  can  be  as  virile  as  any 
one.  "There  isn't  any  difference  like  that  at  home," 
she  said.  "I've  got  just  as  good  a  position  as  any 
one  in  Kraco.  I'm  president  of  the  Ladies  Cooking 
Club;  my  husband  is  elder  in  the  Baptist  Church; 
and  we've  always  been  highly  respected  people. 
I'm  just  as  much  of  a  lady  as  your  wife,  Mr.  Col- 
borne;  and  I  don't  see  why  I  can't  meet  the  King 
and  Queen  just  as  well  as  she  can." 

"I'll  make  it  my  business  to  see  that  you  do  meet 
'em,  madam,"  said  the  Ambassador.  "Young  man," 
to  Atkins,  "make  a  memorandum  of  that  at  once." 

"It's  quite  irregular,"  Atkins  answered. 

"I  don't  give  a  dog-on  if  it  is." 

Mrs.  Haynes  actually  smiled.  I  didn't  believe 
she  could.  Then  she  rose  and  held  out  her  hand  to 
the  Ambassador.  "Thank  you,  sir.  I  feel  better 
already.  It  sure  is  good  to  see  a  real  American  gen 
tleman  like  you  representing  the  United  States!" 

Kate  rose  hurriedly.    In  the  interest  of  the  con- 


n6  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

versation  she  had  forgotten  to  give  any  one  tea. 
"But  surely,  Mrs.  Haynes,  you  are  going  to  have 
a  cup  of  tea?" 

"No,  thank  you,"  she  said,  extending  her  limp 
hand.  "We  have  early  supper;  and  tea  always 
takes  my  appetite.  Joshiah  and  I  don't  believe  in 
all  these  foolish  customs  of  dinner  at  night.  I  never 
could  sleep  on  a  full  stomach." 

We  shook  hands  with  her,  each  in  turn,  and  Dai- 
ton  preceded  her  to  the  door.  "  Let  me  see  you  out," 
he  said. 

"Not  a  bit  of  it!"  cried  the  Ambassador.  "I'm 
going  to  do  that  myself.  This  is  the  first  time 
I've  frad  a  visit  from  a  real  American  lady  since  I 
got  here." 

He  offered  his  arm,  Mrs.  Haynes  took  it,  and  to 
gether  they  left  the  room. 

I  wonder  if  the  Ambassador  is  right  when  he  calls 
Mrs.  Haynes  a  "real  American  lady."  I  find  this 
question  becoming  an  interesting  one  to  study  the 
longer  one  remains  out  of  the  United  States — I  mean, 
which  type  is  most  representative  of  our  country. 
One  gets  a  perspective  over  here  that  is  impossible 
at  home.  Types  are  more  distinctive;  characteristics 
by  contrast  become  more  pronounced.  I  suppose 
there  are  thousands  of  Mrs.  Hayneses,  and  yet  I 
refuse  to  accept  her  as  the  "real  American  lady." 
Like  all  New  Yorkers,  I  am  inclined  to  cite  people 
I  know  there  as  our  best  types;  still,  the  more  I 
think  of  it  the  more  I  realize  that  I  am  wrong. 
New  York  is  too  cosmopolitan  to  be  characteristic 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  117 

of  our  country;  even  the  little  traditions  we  boast  of 
no  longer  exist  there.  Some  say  the  South,  due  to 
its  lack  of  immigration,  produces  more  purely  Amer 
ican  types.  Personally,  the  better  I  get  to  know  the 
Ambassador,  the  more  I  find  myself  thinking  of 
him  as  the  representative  American  type.  I  use  the 
word  "representative"  in  its  broadest  sense,  meaning 
one  who  embodies  the  spirit,  the  standards,  the 
ideals,  and  the  education  of  the  greater  number. 
There  is  no  doubt  about  his  having  a  virility,  a 
freshness  of  interest,  a  directness,  and  a  capacity 
for  accomplishing  things  which  are  usually  cited 
as  our  predominating  characteristics  and  which  are 
not  strikingly  evident  among  the  Europeans  I  have 
met.  He  also  has  that  innate  dislike  of  intrigue  and 
circuitous  methods,  characteristic  of  us  all,  which 
the  foreigner  never  understands.  I  suppose  we  have 
lived  so  long  in  a  country  whose  government,  whose 
institutions,  whose  industrial  life  is  so  consistently 
exposed  to  the  public  that  we  have  no  patience  with 
anything  that  is  not  aboveboard.  After  all,  we  do 
have  an  extraordinary  freedom  of  thought  and  ac 
tion. 

Whether  the  Ambassador  would  come  under  the 
heading  of  a  "distinguished  American"  is  another 
matter.  I  have  often  thought  of  Miss  Baxter's 
question:  "What  do  you  call  Americans  of  distinc 
tion?"  It  isn't  easy  to  give  a  satisfactory  answer. 
There  are  so  many  ways  of  being  distinguished — man 
ners,  education,  achievement;  each  separately  con 
sidered  might  make  one  worthy  of  the  term.  I 


u8  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

think  I  shall  put  the  question  generally  and  make 
notes  of  the  answers.  It  appears  an  exceptional  op 
portunity  for  a  bon  mot. 

And  now,  I  must  record  the  serious,  perhaps  tragic, 
problem  which  has  appeared  out  of  a  clear,  fairly 
peaceful  sky.  It  may  be  the  means  of  ruining  us  all. 
It  will  surely,  unless  the  unforeseen  happens,  be  the 
official,  and  perhaps  the  disgraceful,  end  of  the  Am 
bassador.  He  is  still  courageous  about  it  and  means 
to  fight  it  out  to  the  end;  but  it  has  taken  the  heart 
out  of  the  rest  of  us.  The  thing  which  makes  me 
feel  it  most  keenly  is  that  I  am  almost  sure  I  know 
how  it  happened;  and  yet,  for  the  present,  my  hands 
are  tied.  I  shall  wait  a  day  or  two  before  recording 
it.  Perhaps,  then,  something  will  have  happened. 


IX 

January  12,  19 — . 

THE  cable — the  deciphered  part  of  it  which  Dai- 
ton  wrote  in  pencil  on  a  slip  of  paper — has  disap 
peared.  The  discovery  was  made  one  morning  when 
the  Ambassador  had  asked  Dalton  to  open  the  safe 
and  bring  the  cable  to  him.  Dalton  brought  the 
original  cipher.  The  Ambassador  said  he  wished 
the  deciphered  message.  Dalton  replied  that  he 
had  not  seen  that  since  the  day  he  had  given  it  to 
him. 

For  a  moment  the  Ambassador  appeared  dum- 
founded.  "You  mean  to  say  I  did  not  give  it  back 
to  you?"  he  exclaimed. 

"I  am  sure  of  it,"  Dalton  replied. 

"Why  are  you  so  sure?" 

"Because  at  the  time  when  I  placed  the  original 
in  the  safe  I  wondered  what  you  had  done  with  the 
translation." 

"Why  didn't  you  ask  me  about  it?" 

Dalton  colored  slightly.  "You  will  remember, 
sir,  there  had  been  a  rather  unpleasant  scene  just 
at  that  time.  I  felt  that  any  question  I  might  ask 
you  would  be  out  of  place.  If  the  cable  were  in 
your  hands  I  felt  sure  it  was  in  safe-keeping." 

The  Ambassador  brushed  his  hands  across  his 
eyes  and  sat  down.  "I  can't  seem  to  remember,"  he 
said  slowly.  "You  were  in  the  room  at  the  time." 

119 


120  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

He  shot  a  swift  glance  at  me.  ' '  And  my  wife.  The 
last  thing  I  recall  is  giving  it  to  her.  Do  you  re 
member  seeing  me  do  that?"  I  assented.  "After 
that,"  he  continued,  tapping  the  desk  with  his 
fingers,  "after  that  the  waiter  brought  in  the  high 
balls.  You  drank  yours  at  the  same  time.  Then — 
then,  it  seems  to  me  that  you  left  the  room  and  my 
wife  stopped  on  there  with  me.  Am  I  right?" 

He  was  quite  right.  I  had  left  to  go  home  and 
change  my  evening  clothes  before  luncheon.  It  was 
the  morning  we  had  had  the  audience  with  the  King. 

"After  my  wife  left,"  the  Ambassador  continued 
slowly,  "I  sent  for  you."  This  to  Dalton.  "I  then 
gave  you  the  cable.  Is  that  right?" 

Dalton  nodded.  I  noticed  with  a  start  that  he 
had  grown  very  pale.  The  Ambassador  noticed  it 
at  the  same  time  and  sprang  out  of  his  chair.  For 
a  second  his  own  face  grew  livid. 

"Good  God!"  he  cried.  "If  it  is  lost—"  He 
leaned  heavily  on  the  desk  and,  without  finishing 
the  sentence,  stared  from  one  to  the  other  of  us. 
Then,  quite  suddenly,  and  without  a  word,  he  left 
the  room. 

Dalton  and  I  faced  each  other. 

"What  does  it  mean?"  I  asked. 

Dalton  moved  toward  the  desk  and  stood  look 
ing  down  at  it  as  if  unconscious  of  my  presence. 
"If  it  is  merely  lost — it  will  not  mean  anything;  if 
it  is  not  lost  and  is  in  some  one's  hands  it  means 
that  we  are  all  ruined.  But  that  is  the  small  part 
of  it,"  he  added  slowly.  "It  means  that  the  United 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  121 

States  will  lose  immeasurably  in  one  of  its  most  vital 
interests." 

"And  the  Ambassador?"  My  thoughts  flew 
first  to  him. 

"He  will  be  the  laughing-stock  of  the  world.  I 
doubt  if  he  would  ever  be  able  to  return  home  after 
it  were  known.  His  honor  would  be  gone.  He  would 
be  a  hopelessly  disgraced  man.  You  know  how  un 
forgiving  a  people  can  be  when  they  feel  that, 
through  negligence,  their  interests  have  suffered!" 

A  silence  fell  between  us. 

"What  can  we  do?"  I  asked. 

"Find  the  cable — if  possible." 

"And  if  it  cannot  be  found?" 

"Then — we  must  find  out  who  has  it." 

"There  is  only  one  person  who  would  want  it." 

"Yes,  only  one,  and  for  us  the  most  dangerous 
man  in  the  world." 

"Comte  de  Stanlau?" 

Dalton  nodded. 

Just  then  the  Ambassador  returned,  went  straight 
to  his  desk,  and  sat  down.  During  the  few  minutes 
of  absence  his  face  had  changed  in  an  extraordinary 
way.  He  appeared  twenty  years  older;  his  color 
had  faded;  his  eyes,  always  so  alert,  were  dead  and 
lustreless.  He  drummed  with  his  hands  on  the  desk 
and  seemed  quite  unconscious  of  Dalton  and  me. 

"I  went  to  look  for  my  wife,"  he  said  after  a 
long  pause.  "  She  has  gone  out.  I  left  word  for  her 
to  come  here  as  soon  as  she  returned."  After  this 
he  relapsed  into  a  long  silence. 


122  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

It  was  a  trying  half-hour  we  passed,  with  hardly 
a  word  spoken.  Indeed,  what  was  there  to  say? 
Each  one  of  us  knew  so  well  the  seriousness  of  the 
situation,  and  yet  for  the  moment  the  time  for  dis 
cussing  it  did  not  appear  to  have  arrived.  Perhaps 
each  one  was  pinning  his  hope  to  what  Mrs.  Col- 
borne  might  say.  At  least,  until  she  had  spoken, 
it  seemed  best  to  wait. 

While  waiting  for  her  I  found  myself  going  over, 
detail  by  detail,  little  incidents  and  scraps  of  con 
versation  which  I  hoped  might  throw  some  light  on 
the  disappearance  of  the  cable — if  it  had  disap 
peared.  Atkins's  talk  with  Comtesse  de  Stanlau 
in  the  garden,  particularly  the  part  referring  to  her 
brother  and  Kate,  began  to  take  an  important 
place;  then  the  conversation  between  Mrs.  Col- 
borne  and  Stanlau,  with  its  dovetailing  subject, 
grew  suspicious.  His  beseeching  demand  that  Mrs. 
Colborne  should  help  him  win  Kate  and  her  prom 
ised  aid  began  to  take  a  place  in  my  thoughts  with 
alarming  meaning.  Try  as  hard  as  I  might  to  dis 
miss  the  significance  of  these  conversations  with 
the  argument  that  Mrs.  Colborne  was  surely  too 
sensible  to  risk  such  a  danger,  I  invariably  came  back 
to  the  belief  that  there  might  be  something  in  it. 
When  she  entered  the  room  with  Kate  I  immedi 
ately,  and  probably  rudely,  began  to  study  her  face, 
hoping  thus  to  allay  my  fears. 

"The  footman  said  you  were  looking  for  me, 
John.  Anything  important  happened?"  She  gave 
us  all  an  inclusive  smile  and  moved  near  the  desk, 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  123 

resting  one  hand  on  it.  Kate  went  at  once  to  her 
father  and  stood  beside  his  chair.  I  saw  him  reach 
for  her  hand  and  grasp  it  so  hard  that  she  winced. 

"Jenny,"  he  looked  directly  at  his  wife,  "you  re 
member  the  day  I  received  that  cable?" 

She  frowned  slightly,  grew  a  bit  paler,  threw  a 
quick  glance  around  the  room,  and  finally  nodded. 

"I  gave  it  to  you  to  read,  you  remember?" 

Again  she  nodded. 

"Did  you  give  it  back  to  me?" 

With  her  hand  still  resting  on  the  desk  she  met 
the  Ambassador's  eyes  steadily.  Her  face,  always 
without  color,  seemed  to  grow  much  paler;  this  was 
the  only  sign  she  gave  of  annoyance.  Indeed,  she 
was  particularly  handsome  that  morning  in  one  of 
her  most  beautiful  gowns  of  dark  red  cloth  and  black 
fur.  She  has  the  gift  of  choosing  her  costumes  for 
their  sumptuous  effect.  She  held  herself  erect  and 
calm,  not  an  easy  thing  to  do  when  several  people 
near  you  are  searching  your  face  and  awaiting 
anxiously  your  answer. 

"I  think  I  laid  it  there,"  she  said  slowly,  indicat 
ing  the  desk  not  with  hesitation  but  as  if  trying  to 
remember  with  precision.  "Was  there  not  a  tray 
on  the  desk,  and  some  bottles?" 

"Yes,  there  was,"  the  Ambassador  answered. 

"  Ah !"  she  sighed  slightly,  then  smiled.  "I  am  so 
relieved.  I'm  sure  I  put  the  cable  beside  the  tray." 

The  Ambassador  said  nothing.  The  hand  which 
held  Kate's  loosened  its  hold;  his  whole  figure  ap 
peared  suddenly  to  relax.  Dalton  and  I  felt  very 


124  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

much  the  same  way.  We,  as  he,  had  staked  our 
hope  on  Mrs.  Colborne's  answer  and  were  now  fac 
ing  the  realization  that  the  cable  was  gone. 

Mrs.  Colborne  excused  herself  quickly  and  left 
the  room.  Kate  remained  a  moment  or  two,  looked 
questioningly  at  me  and  laid  her  hand  on  her 
father's  shoulder. 

"What  is  it,  father?"  she  asked. 

He  looked  at  her,  shook  his  head,  then  forced 
himself  to  smile  at  her. 

"Did  you  ever  expect  your  daddy,  Kitty,  to  be 
an  out-and-out  dern  fool?" 

She  shook  her  head,  her  eyes  very  grave.  "No, 
father,  you  could  never  be  that." 

"But  I  am,  Kitty,"  he  laughed  rather  grimly. 
"At  this  moment  I  feel  I  am  the  damnedest  fool 
that  ever  lived."  He  pulled  her  to  him  almost 
roughly  and  gave  her  a  resounding  kiss.  "Now — 
run  along.  Don't  bother  about  me.  I'll  tell  you 
all  about  it  when  I  get  a  chance.  Right  now — I've 
got  to  do  some  tall  thinking!" 

After  this  the  Ambassador  ordered  all  the  servants 
sent  to  his  office.  The  army  corps  was  marshalled 
in  by  Arturo.  When  they  were  all  there  and  checked 
off  at  the  Ambassador's  express  order,  he  made  a 
short  but  quite  expressive  talk  on  the  subject  of 
what  punishment  was  going  to  be  inflicted  on  the 
culprit.  When  he  had  finished,  Arturo  addressed 
the  servants  in  French,  explaining  extraordinarily 
well  what  the  Ambassador  had  said. 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  125 

Finally,  the  army  corps  having  been  got  out  of 
the  room  in  very  good  order,  Arturo  remained.  He 
came  up  to  the  Ambassador's  desk  and  bowed  very 
low. 

"Your  Excellency,  I  have  been  in  diplomacy 
twenty-five  years,  and — 

The  Ambassador  cut  him  short.  "I  don't  give  a 
hang  if  you've  been  in  it  a  thousand  years.  What  I 
want  is  that  stolen  cable — nothing  else." 

Arturo  drew  himself  up  proudly.  Sometimes  I 
think  he  hates  the  Ambassador.  That  morning  I 
was  sure  of  it.  "I  beg  pardon,  your  Excellency,  I 
was  only  going  to  say  that  I  engaged  each  one  of 
those  servants.  They  are  responsible  to  me.  I  am 
responsible  for  them.  And  I  assure  your  Excel 
lency 

The  Ambassador's  fist  came  down  on  the  desk. 
"I  don't  want  assurances.  I  want  that  cable.  If 
you  are  responsible — find  it." 

Arturo  bowed  low  and  left  the  room,  every  move 
ment  full  of  wounded  pride.  I  suppose  no  one  ever 
treated  him  as  the  Ambassador  does  and  it's  a  rather 
bitter  pill  for  him  to  swallow. 

"I  wonder,"  said  the  Ambassador,  when  we  were 
alone,  "if  he  has  sense  enough  to  have  taken  it 
himself?" 

The  discovery  that  the  cable  was  lost  could  not 
have  come  at  a  more  unfortunate  time.  It  took  all 
the  fun  out  of  our  plans  for  Christmas  and  made 
it  about  as  dismal  a  feast  as  I  ever  hope  to  attend. 


126  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

Afterward,  one  following  quickly  upon  another, 
came  innumerable  entertainments,  official  and  other 
wise.  On  New  Year's  Day  was  the  reception  by  the 
King  and  Queen  of  the  entire  diplomatic  corps.  It 
took  place  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening.  After  a 
very  hurried  dinner  we  assembled  in  the  drawing- 
room  of  the  Embassy  to  rehearse  our  bows  and 
courtesies.  The  Ambassador  had  a  very  hard  time. 
Kate  and  I  played  King  and  Queen  while  the  Am 
bassador  and  Mrs.  Colborne  advanced  into  the  room 
side  by  side,  he  bowing  three  times,  a  few  steps  be 
tween  each  bow,  and  she  courtesying  the  same  num 
ber  of  times.  This  was  easy  enough;  the  difficulty 
lay  in  the  backing  out.  Each  time  the  Ambassador 
reached  the  door  he  looked  down  and,  to  his  utter 
amazement,  found  Mrs.  Colborne's  voluminous 
train  wrapped  securely  around  his  feet.  After  three 
rehearsals  we  discovered  what  was  wrong.  As  they 
entered  the  room  it  was  necessary  for  Mrs.  Colborne 
to  be  on  the  Ambassador's  left  so  that  they  might 
arrive  properly  before  the  King  and  Queen — Mrs. 
Colborne  going  to  the  Queen,  the  Ambassador  to 
the  King.  So  far,  so  good.  But  when  the  time 
came  for  the  Ambassador  to  speak  to  the  Queen 
and  Mrs.  Colborne  to  the  King,  the  Ambassador, 
to  pass  back  of  his  wife  and  reach  the  Queen,  was 
confronted  with  the  feat  of  getting  by  her  train. 

"You  see,  Jenny,  I  can't  jump  over  it;  can  I?" 
The  Ambassador  stood  looking  down  at  the  endless 
folds  of  brocade  as  if  they  presented  the  most 
stupendous  problem  he  had  ever  faced.  "And  if  I 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  127 

walk  all  the  way  round  it  I  might  as  well  go  home. 
So  what  am  I  to  do?  Would  you  suggest  that  I 
lean  over  it?  If  the  Queen  made  a  long  reach  we 
might  be  able  to  touch  fingers." 

Atkins  finally  arrived  and  superciliously  un 
ravelled  the  knot.  On  such  an  occasion  the  man 
invariably  crosses  in  front  of  the  lady;  there  is  no 
other  possible  way  out.  The  Ambassador  gave  a 
loud  cheer  and  this  time  reached  the  door  with  his 
legs  quite  free. 

We  arrived  a  little  late  at  the  Palace.  All  the 
embassies'  staffs  were  already  assembled  in  the 
large  antechamber,  the  men  in  their  full  diplomatic 
uniforms,  the  ladies  in  evening  dresses  with  all  sorts 
and  conditions  of  Court  trains.  Some  of  them,  I 
could  swear,  had  requisitioned  their  drawing-room 
curtains;  that  the  train  should  accord  in  color  or 
design  with  the  costume  did  not  appear  to  have  oc 
curred  to  the  wearer. 

It  was  an  immensely  brilliant  sight,  one  that  has 
come  up  to  what  I  expected  of  Court  life  more  than 
anything  else  I  have  seen.  It  was  quite  gay,  too. 
Every  one  ran  around  speaking  to  every  one  else. 
Introductions  were  going  on  in  every  direction.  I 
met,  for  the  first  time,  all  our  South  American 
colleagues.  There  must  have  been  fifty  of  them — 
all  of  them  brilliantly  rastaquomre.  The  Orient  was 
out  in  full  force,  though  in  perfectly  Occidental  at 
tire.  We,  as  usual,  were  in  our  dismal  head-waiter 
suits,  with  a  slight  assistance  lent  by  the  gold  lace 
of  our  uniformed  naval  and  military  attaches,  both 


128  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

of  whom  have  returned  to  town  for  the  opening  of 
the  season.  Any  disappointment  which  we  felt, 
however,  was  offset  by  Mrs.  Colborne's  appearance. 
She  was  really  magnificent  in  a  dazzling  costume  of 
white-and-silver  Venetian  brocade.  Her  train  may 
have  been  a  little  overdone,  but  it  was  immensely 
effective.  I  stood  across  the  room  and  studied  her 
in  comparison  with  the  other  women.  There  was 
practically  a  woman  of  every  nation  under  the  sun 
in  the  room,  and  not  one  of  them,  not  even  the 
Spanish  Ambassador's  wife,  with  her  severe,  haughty, 
Castilian  beauty,  could  be  considered  a  moment 
beside  Mrs.  Colborne.  She  made  them  all  look 
commonplace;  in  most  cases  dowdy.  As  all  hand 
some  American  women,  she  has  that  characteristic 
look  of  race,  a  trait  our  women  appear  to  possess 
exclusively.  You  rarely  see  an  American  man  who 
looks  as  if  he  had  ancestors.  We  usually  appear  to 
have  been  made  in  a  hurry.  This  feeling  was 
brought  home  to  me  that  night  while  I  watched 
Stanlau  talking  to  the  Ambassador  and  Dalton. 
Though  both  of  the  latter  two  would  be  called  good- 
looking  men,  particularly  Dalton,  beside  Stanlau 
they  appeared  almost  carelessly  put  together.  His 
features  give  the  impression  of  having  been  worked 
over,  moulded,  and  chiselled  with  infinite  pains. 

As  each  Embassy's  turn  came  to  be  admitted  to 
the  audience-chamber,  there  was  a  great  fuss  made 
over  assembling  before  the  double  doors,  trains 
straightened  out,  and  a  general  air  of  getting  ready 
to  appear  at  one's  best.  At  the  appointed  moment 
the  doors  were  thrown  open,  an  Ambassador  and 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  129 

his  wife  sailed  in,  followed  by  their  attaches,  and 
the  doors  closed  behind  them.  For  the  time  being 
it  was  as  if  they  had  been  swallowed  up.  Somehow 
it  made  me  think  of  prisoners,  at  the  time  of  the 
French  Revolution,  gathered  in  a  room  awaiting  the 
roll-call. 

When  our  turn  came  and  the  doors  were  opened, 
we,  too,  sailed  in  and  found  ourselves  confronted  at 
once  by  the  King  and  Queen.  They  stood  in  the 
centre  of  the  room  with,  back  of  them,  a  score  of 
ladies  and  gentlemen  in  waiting.  The  Ambassador 
and  Mrs.  Colborne  reached  their  Majesties  safely. 
Kate  followed  a  little  behind  Mrs.  Colborne;  the 
rest  of  us  stood  in  a  solemn  row  and  tried  to  out- 
stare  the  Court  crowd  who  were  having  their  share 
of  fun  at  our  expense. 

What  the  King  said  to  the  Ambassador  was  im 
mediately  afterward  repeated  to  Mrs.  Colborne; 
and  what  each  of  them  said  to  their  Majesties  was 
exactly  what  every  one  else  says  at  a  formal  Court 
function.  In  discussing  it  that  evening  with  other 
diplomats  we  found  that  almost  identically  the 
same  words  were  used  by  the  King  to  each  one,  the 
only  difference  being  that  he  always  speaks  to  a 
diplomat  in  the  language  of  that  representative's 
country.  The  usual  conversation  between  a  royalty 
and  some  one  presented  for  the  first  time,  as  recorded 
by  more  than  a  score  of  people,  is  substantially  this: 

KING  :  (After  shaking  hands}  It  gives  me  much  pleasure  to 
welcome  you  to  our  country.  I  trust  you  will  be  very  happy 
here. 


ANSWER:  (Perfunctorily  enthusiastic.  If  an  appreciative 
American  lady  is  being  presented  she  replies  ecstatically)  I'm 
crazy  about  your  Majesty's  country. 

KING:  (Callous  to  such  outbursts)  All  Americans  appear 
to  love  their  country  very  much. 

ANSWER:  But  it  is  so  new,  so  banal,  compared  to  your 
Majesty's. 

KING:  I  hope  to  have  the  good  fortune  some  day  to  visit 
America. 

ANSWER:  Ah  !    If  your  Majesty  only  would ! 

By  this  time  the  lady  is  given  another  royal  hand 
clasp  and  adroitly  dismissed. 

When  the  Ambassador  had  spoken  to  the  King 
and  crossed  to  the  Queen,  and  Mrs.  Colborne  had 
changed  places,  we  watched  with  bated  breath  the 
result  of  the  train  rehearsal.  As  so  often  happens, 
all  our  plans  were  upset  by  the  King,  who,  after 
speaking  to  Mrs.  Colborne  and  Kate,  came  over  to 
Dalton  and  the  rest  of  us.  This,  however,  gave  the 
Ambassador  and  Mrs.  Colborne  an  exceptional  op 
portunity  to  prepare  for  the  backing  stunt,  which 
went  off  perfectly.  Until  one  has  gone  through  it, 
one  has  no  idea  that  there  can  be  such  poignant  re 
lief  as  that  experienced  when,  after  a  presentation, 
one  finally  reaches  the  retiring  door. 

In  the  antechamber  beyond  we  fell  into  the  arms 
of  our  colleagues,  who  had  gone  before  and  who 
were  now  grouped  about  a  buffet  ready  to  give  us 
cheer  and  encouragement  after  our  successful  pas 
sage  through  the  valley  of  shadows.  We  got  back 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  131 

to  the  Embassy  at  half -past  eleven  with  the  feeling 
that  the  evening  was  over  before  it  had  begun. 

Two  nights  later  was  the  first  Court  ball.  It  is 
the  formal  opening  of  the  season,  and  not  an  exclu 
sive  function,  I  am  told,  as  almost  every  one  of  any 
standing  at  all  is  invited.  I  have  never  been  to  an 
inaugural  ball  at  Washington,  but  I  am  sure  that 
could  not  be  more  of  a  crush.  The  King  and  Queen 
sat  on  a  throne  at  one  side  of  the  ballroom;  on  either 
side  of  them  sat  the  wives  of  ambassadors;  a  little 
to  the  right  were  grouped  the  attaches  and  their 
wives;  and  all  around  the  room  on  benches  were  the 
guests,  at  least  all  of  those  who  had  come  early 
enough  to  find  seats.  The  others  crowded  the  doors 
and  adjoining  rooms.  The  dancing  took  place  be 
fore  the  King  and  Queen,  only  deux  temps  and 
waltzes;  no  vulgar  American  innovations,  mind  you, 
not  even  a  thoroughly  censored  and  emasculated 
one-step. 

Kate  is  quite  a  success  with  all  the  secretaries 
and  attaches;  for  that  matter,  with  every  one  who 
meets  her.  I  think  it  is  her  camaraderie  and  a 
capacity  for  carrying  on  an  interesting  conversation 
which  the  young  girls  over  here  appear  to  lack. 
Pierre  de  Coulevain,  in  her  description  of  American 
girls,  speaks  of  them  as  innocent  married  women. 
I  suppose  she  means  they  have  that  self-confidence 
which  these  girls  are  taught  not  to  show  until  they 
are  married.  Besides,  Kate  is  so  thoroughly  charm 
ing  that  no  one  could  help  loving  her.  I  only  had 
the  first  dance  with  her  at  the  ball,  and  that  because 


132  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

I  had  made  her  promise  me  it  days  before.  After 
that  I  had  to  content  myself  with  standing  in  the 
crowd  and  watching  her.  She  looked  so  much  more 
a  woman  that  night  than  I  had  ever  seen  her.  It 
may  have  been  due  to  the  train — it  was  obligatory 
to  wear  one — though  for  the  past  week  she  has  grown 
much  more  silent  and  serious.  I  think  it  is  a  reflec 
tion  of  her  father's  attitude.  Ever  since  the  dis 
covery  that  the  cable  was  gone  he  has  been  a  differ 
ent  man.  He  is  much  more  dignified  and  reserved; 
he  has  very  little  to  say  and  has  kept  to  himself 
almost  constantly.  At  the  official  functions  he  has 
been  quite  distinguished  in  his  aloofness.  I  am  al 
most  inclined  to  think  it  an  improvement;  though 
in  not  being  his  normal  self  he  has  lost  some  of  his 
charm. 

Kate  knows  what  has  happened.  The  Ambassador 
told  her;  indeed,  I  believe  he  is  more  confidential 
with  her  than  he  is  with  his  wife.  She  has  men 
tioned  it  to  me  several  times,  and  each  time  I  have 
tried  to  make  her  believe  it  was  not  such  a  serious 
affair.  The  last  time  we  spoke  of  it  she  looked  out 
of  her  honest,  frank  eyes  and  said:  "Don't  treat 
me  as  a  child.  I  know  everything.  My  father  is 
on  the  brink  of  ruin." 

"I  won't  admit  it,"  I  insisted.  "I  have  such 
confidence  in  him  that  I  know  he  will  find  some  way 
out.  I  remember  you  once  said  that  if  you  counted 
for  anything  he  was  going  to  be  a  success.  I  say 
now,  that  if  I  count  for  anything  this  is  not  going 
to  ruin  him." 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  133 

The  glow  of  hope  in  her  eyes  was  beautiful. 
"What  are  you  going  to  do?"  she  asked. 

"I  am  going  to  find  out  who  has  that  cable." 

"Ah !"  She  gave  me  her  hand.  "I  know  it  can 
be  done.  There  must  be  some  way  to  save  him. 
Surely,  together,  we  can  do  it!" 

"Of  course  we  can,"  I  said,  holding  her  hand  to 
my  lips.  "And  it's  not  for  you  alone  that  I  wish 
to  do  it." 

"You  mean?" 

"That  I  would  do  anything  in  the  world  for  him, 
even  if  he  were  not  your  father." 

She  turned  away  quickly,  but  not  before  I  had 
seen  tears  in  her  eyes. 

Again  we  had  spoken  of  him  one  afternoon  when 
we  were  alone  at  tea.  She  had  mentioned  the  change 
in  his  appearance.  "He  is  so  different.  All  the 
fun  seems  to  have  been  taken  out  of  him.  He  has 
never  been  this  way  before.  If  he  should  fall 
ffl- 

"Of  course,  he  will  do  nothing  of  the  sort.  It  is 
only  natural  for  him  to  be  worried  about  it;  it  is 
right  that  he  should  be." 

"You  have  found  out  nothing?" 

I  shook  my  head,  though  wishing  all  the  time  that 
it  were  possible  to  tell  her  my  suspicions.  But 
that  appeared  to  be  going  a  bit  too  far,  particularly 
as  they  were  only  suspicions.  Yet  she  looked  so 
pitiful  in  her  anxiety,  so  really  heart-broken,  that  I 
came  dangerously  near  to  telling  her  everything. 

"If  he  doesn't  lose  his  courage !"  she  cried,  clasp- 


134  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

ing  her  hands.  "I  can't  bear  the  thought  of  his 
failing.  If  we  can  only  help  him  to  keep  up !" 

I  tried  not  to  be  selfish  and  thrust  my  own  feel 
ings  on  her  at  that  moment,  but  I  failed.  I  burst 
out  with  the  declaration  that  I  had  loved  her  since 
the  first  moment  I  had  seen  her.  She  did  not  pre 
tend  to  be  surprised;  how  could  she?  I  had  shown 
it  too  plainly  for  weeks.  Nor  did  she  answer  me. 
I  must  have  talked  on  for  an  interminably  long  time 
without  her  having  said  a  word.  When  we  separated 
I  still  had  no  reply.  She  had  only  listened,  but  in  a 
way  that  made  my  heart  pound  with  hope. 

Until  the  night  of  the  ball  I  had  not  seen  her 
again,  except  with  others.  She  had  not  met  my  eyes 
with  her  accustomed  frankness.  Whether  that  were 
a  good  sign  or  a  bad  one,  I  did  not  know.  She  was 
irritatingly  pleasant  to  Dalton,  too.  Sometimes  I 
felt  that  she  surely  preferred  him  to  me,  though,  on 
second  thoughts,  I  tried  to  console  myself  with  the 
belief  that  a  woman  never  goes  out  of  her  way  to  be 
nice  to  a  man  if  she  really  cares  for  him — at  least 
she  doesn't  do  it  frankly.  In  fact,  I  found  her 
entirely  too  agreeable  to  every  one.  I'm  sure 
Comte  de  Stanlau  thinks  he  has  already  won  her. 
I  had  even  come  to  the  conclusion  that  she  was  an 
out-and-out  flirt,  playing  all  three  of  us,  besides 
several  secretaries  from  other  embassies.  I  didn't 
really  think  so,  but  I  was  in  a  condition  where  every 
imaginable  thought  entered  my  head  for  a  few  mo 
ments. 

The  other  night  at  dinner  Mrs.  Colborne  said  that 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  135 

a  woman  by  being  attractive  to  other  men  could  be 
an  immense  assistance  to  her  husband. 

"And  it  must  be  so  gratifying  to  a  man,"  Kate 
said,  with  downcast,  innocent  eyes,  "to  know  that 
the  woman  he  loves  inspires  the  same  feeling  in 
other  men.  It  seems  to  me  it  would  make  him  feel 
more  confidence  in  his  own  judgment." 

This  was  meant  for  me,  as  I  had  complained 
rather  insistently  that  afternoon  of  her  receiving 
so  much  indiscriminate  attention. 

"A  man  doesn't  need  another's  approval  of  a 
woman  if  he  really  loves  her,"  I  commented. 

To  go  back  to  the  ball.  About  midnight  their 
Majesties  left  the  ballroom,  and  with  them  all  tire 
some  formality.  Every  one  began  immediately  to 
enjoy  himself,  and  there  was  a  shockingly  undignified 
scramble  to  get  to  the  supper-room.  They  say  it  is 
the  one  annual  occasion  on  which  many  of  these 
people  get  their  taste  of  champagne  and  foie  gras. 
Their  eagerness  would  appear  to  give  the  story 
credence. 

A  special  buffet  was  arranged  for  the  diplomatic 
corps,  and  as  we  were  being  conducted  in  that  di 
rection  I  slipped  away  and  made  for  the  large  room 
where  deputies  and  senators,  noblesse  and  haute 
bourgeoisie,  were  grappling  in  an  apparent  death- 
struggle  to  reach  the  buffet.  It  is  said  that  each  ex 
perience  we  have  will  at  some  time  in  life  prove 
useful;  I  found  out  that  night  that  my  year  of 
training  on  the  college  football  team  could  be  of 
inestimable  advantage. 


136  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

When  I  got  back  to  the  room  reserved  for  the 
diplomatic  corps,  I  found  Kate  surrounded  by 
practically  all  the  secretaries.  Their  mission  in  life 
at  that  moment  appeared  to  be  to  shower  her  with 
food.  A  Bulgarian  and  a  Serb  were  on  the  point 
of  coming  to  blows  over  which  should  offer  her 
champagne.  Only  her  refusal  of  both  offers  saved 
bloodshed.  A  Brazilian  had  fetched  an  entire 
platter  of  sandwiches  and  was  standing  before  her 
with  beseeching,  adoring  eyes;  a  Britisher  had  char 
acteristically  brought  her  a  cup  of  tea.  Several 
ambassadresses,  forced  to  serve  themselves  through 
the  negligence  of  their  secretaries,  were  sending 
critical  glances  in  her  direction.  Comte  de  Stanlau 
was,  of  course,  in  the  group;  and  Dal  ton,  too. 

I  tried  to  get  up  to  her  and  failed.  Then,  quite 
out  of  patience  and  furious  with  her  for  accepting  all 
this  attention  from  people  who  could  not  possibly 
mean  anything  to  her,  I  suddenly  thought  of  a  ruse 
to  get  rid  of  them,  or  at  least  to  get  her  away  from 
them. 

I  pushed  my  way  rather  roughly  through  the 
crowd  and  reached  her  side.  "Mrs.  Colborne  is 
looking  for  you,"  I  said. 

"For  me?    Where  is  she?" 

"If  you  can  tear  yourself  away  from  this" — I 
think  I  choked  with  fury — "this  admiring  interna 
tional  gathering,  I  shall  be  glad  to  take  you  to 
her." 

My  scowl  caught  her  attention,  and  it  must  have 
impressed  the  group,  for  they  fell  back  enough  to 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  137 

let  us  pass;  all  of  them  except  Comte  de  Stanlau. 
He  stood  his  ground,  smiling  and  calm. 

"Her  Excellency  is  in  the  next  salon,"  he  said. 
"I  have  just  seen  her.  If  you  will  permit  me 

Kate's  hand  was  already  on  my  arm.  I  pressed 
it  closer  to  me.  "I  am  going  to  take  you  to  her 
myself,"  I  said  firmly,  even  a  bit  roughly,  I  suppose, 
for  I  had  no  sooner  spoken  than  Kate  withdrew 
her  hand  from  my  arm  and  looked  at  me  in  sur 
prise. 

"Is  something  wrong?" 

"Yes — a  great  deal." 

She  thanked  Stanlau,  gave  him  an  unnecessarily 
sweet  smile,  and  walked  with  me  across  the  room. 

"What  is  the  matter?"  she  whispered,  a  little 
pale. 

"Everything.  I  can't  stand  it  a  minute  longer," 
I  blurted  out. 

"You!" 

"Yes — I.  It  makes  me  furious  to  see  you  wasting 
yourself  on  all  those — those  infernal  secretaries." 

' '  Wasting  myself  ? ' '  She  began  laughing.  ' '  Why 
— why,  I  believe  you  are  jealous ! " 

"Haven't  I  reason  to  be ?  Aren't  you  flirting  with 
every  one  of  them?  As  for  Dalton  and  that  con 
temptible  Stanlau,  I  believe  you  are  engaged  to 
both  of  them.  Are  you?  I've  got  to  know." 

She  stopped  quite  still  and  stared  at  me.  I  had 
entirely  forgotten  that  we  were  in  a  crowded  room, 
that  about  us,  close  to  us,  was  a  crowd  of  strange 
faces,  a  babel  of  unfamiliar  tongues.  Kate  appeared 


138  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

to  have  forgotten  it,  too.  We  stood  there  quite 
unconscious  of  our  surroundings. 

"Do  you  mean  to  tell  me,"  Kate  finally  said, 
"that  you  used  that  excuse  to  get  me  away — to  say 
insulting  things  to  me?" 

"It  was  an  excuse,  yes." 

"Then  take  me  back  to  Comte  de  Stanlau  at 
once." 

"I'll  never  do  that." 

"Very  well.     I  shall  go  alone." 

"If  you  do  that,  Kate,  this  will  be  the  end." 

"The  end  of  what?" 

In  a  flash  I  realized  what  a  fool  I  was  making  of 
myself,  and  the  realization  brought  calm.  "The 
end  of  everything  for  me,"  I  said  quietly.  "You 
know  I  didn't  mean  to  be  insulting;  but  I  can't  bear 
seeing  you  give  all  your  time,  all  your  smiles,  all 
your  favors,  all  your  interest  to  a  lot  of  other  men." 

"What  right  have  you  to  talk  to  me  this  way?" 

"The  right  every  man  has  when  he  loves  a  girl. 
And  I  do  love  you.  I  never  knew  what  it  meant 
before.  Can't  you  see?  Can't  you  understand 
that  the  uncertainty  is  unbearable?  If  there  isn't 
any  hope  for  me,  tell  me  so,  and  I'll  go  back  home 
at  once.  Only — if  there  is  a  little  hope — the  very 
least — tell  me  so.  For  I  love  you,  Kate — I  love 
you." 

She  shot  a  swift  glance  about  the  room.  "Do 
you  want  every  one  at  the  ball  to  know  it?" 

"I'd  be  glad  if  they  did.  I'm  proud  of  it.  I  want 
the  world  to  know  it.' 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  139 

She  wouldn't  meet  my  eyes.  All  the  time  she  ap 
peared  to  be  searching  the  room  for  some  one.  Then, 
without  a  word,  she  laid  her  hand  on  my  arm.  "I 
suppose  you  had  better  take  me  to  my  stepmother 
now." 

"She  doesn't  need  you — I  do;  and  I  know  a 
place  out  there  in  the  corridor  where  we  can  sit 
down."  I  did  not  give  her  time  to  answer  this,  but 
led  her  straight  out  of  the  room  and  down  a  corri 
dor  at  the  end  of  which  was  a  sofa  screened  by 
palms. 

How  indelibly  the  surroundings  of  that  evening 
are  recorded  in  my  mind !  The  Flemish  tapestry 
hanging  just  over  us,  a  pictured  battle  of  Lepanto, 
the  palms  about  us,  the  babel  of  unfamiliar  tongues 
now  blending  with  the  distant  sound  of  music— 
and  Kate,  sitting  there  on  the  sofa  beside  me,  listen 
ing  with  downcast  eyes  and  gently  clasped  hands  to 
my  love  story. 

I  must  have  talked  on  interminably;  I  haven't 
an  idea  what  I  said.  It  must  have  been  a  series  of 
incoherent,  reiterated  phrases. 

"I'll  be  the  happiest  man  in  the  world,  Kate, 
if " 

"If  what?" 

"If  you'll  only  promise  to  marry  me." 

She  smiled,  then  she  laughed,  very  softly,  very 
sweetly.  "If  I  did  that  I  should  be  confessing  that 
I  loved  you." 

"Yes — that's  true.  Then — are  you  afraid  to 
confess  it?" 


140  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

She  lifted  her  eyes  and  looked  at  me. 
"No,"  she  whispered. 

An  hour  later  we  were  still  there. 

"If  there  wasn't  just  one  awful  thing  hanging 
over  me,  Kate,"  I  said,  "I  believe  I'd  go  off  my 
head  with  joy." 

"What  awful  thing?" 

I  groaned  aloud.  "What  under  the  sun  am  I 
going  to  say  to  your  father?  Of  course,  he  won't 
consider  me  as  a  son-in-law!  I  can  feel  it  in  my 
bones." 

Her  hand  tightened  in  mine.  "He  would  do  any 
thing  that  would  make  me  happy.  Only" — her 
eyes  grew  a  little  troubled — "I  don't  want  you  to 
mention  it  to  him  yet.  In  a  way — it  will  make  him 
unhappy.  He  has  always  said  he  should  dread  the 
day  I  left  him.  And  just  now — we  ought  not  to 
add  to  his  worries;  ought  we?" 

I  agreed  to  this,  but  groaned  again  over  the 
prospect  of  having  eventually  to  approach  him. 

Kate  laughed  a  little,  though  her  eyes  were  still 
grave.  "I  don't  see  why  you  dread  it  so.  Think 
what  a  chance  you  have  of  showing  him  what  you 
are ! — of  helping  him  in  the  most  desperate  moment 
of  his  career ! " 

This  is  quite  true.  But  how  can  I  help  him?  A 
simple  answer  to  the  question  is — find  the  cable, 
or  at  least  find  out  who  has  it.  This  thought  has 
almost  obliterated  a  realization  of  my  own  happi 
ness.  The  question  springs  up  every  hour  of  the 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  141 

day.  If,  by  any  chance,  my  suspicion  of  Mrs.  Col- 
borne  is  unfounded — and  heaven  knows  I  sincerely 
hope  it  is — then  who  remains  ?  Atkins  ?  Surely,  he 
couldn't  afford  to  risk  it !  I  have  thought  of  ev 
ery  possible  person,  even  Arturo,  whose  elaborate 
mustaches  certainly  suggest  intrigue.  But  always, 
with  a  sinking  of  the  heart,  I  come  back  to  Mrs. 
Colborne.  Surely,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  she 
alone  did  it. 


X 

January  20,  19 — . 

KATE  and  I  spent  most  of  the  afternoon  ostensi 
bly  arranging  the  table  diagram  for  the  first  official 
dinner;  actually,  we  did  very  little  in  that  direction. 

This  dinner  is  to  be  next  week,  the  first  of  a  series. 
Our  official  reception  has  been  achieved;  success 
fully,  too,  I  think.  All  of  the  Court  circle  and 
prominent  officials,  if  the  list  furnished  by  the 
Grand  Master  of  Ceremonies  was  correct,  and  a 
goodly  number  of  the  American  colony.  Among 
the  latter  were  Mrs.  Haynes  and  Miss  Mary  Brown 
Baxter.  Miss  Baxter,  who  we  had  begun  to  think 
was  only  a  bad  dream,  appeared  at  the  Embassy  on 
the  morning  of  the  reception,  explained  that  she 
had  been  ill  ever  since  her  first  visit,  and  though, 
much  to  her  disgust,  she  found  that  the  Ambassador, 
after  all,  was  not  from  her  "home  State,"  demanded 
and  received  an  invitation  to  the  reception.  Even 
the  Ambassador's  devotion  to  his  own  people  less 
ened  under  her  onslaught. 

Mrs.  Haynes  might  have  been  called  the  feature 
of  the  evening.  Her  costume  was  stunning — in  the 
literal  sense  of  the  word.  She  had  evidently  taken 
to  heart  our  advice  about  leaving  cards,  for  she 
made  Mr.  Haynes,  a  thoroughly  respectable  old 
soul,  carry  a  note-book  and  pencil  all  the  evening, 

142 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  143 

and  when  introduced  to  any  one  she  asked  for  the 
name  to  be  repeated,  very  distinctly,  and  the  ad 
dress  given.  This  she  conveyed  to  Mr.  Haynes, 
who  wrote  it  down  in  the  note-book.  I'm  sure  she 
has  been  shooting  cards  ever  since. 

The  Ambassador  is  a  very  satisfactory  host. 
He  has  a  way  of  making  a  personal  matter  of  each 
introduction;  and  as  the  Master  of  Ceremonies, 
who  had  come  for  that  special  purpose,  presented 
each  guest  he  gave  a  hearty  hand-shake  and  a 
friendly,  interested  glance  which  was  not  in  the 
least  perfunctory  and  which  I  believe  all  of  these 
people  were  quick  to  feel  and  like.  Mrs.  Colborne 
was  as  resplendent  as  usual  and  carried  off  her  part 
effectively. 

Later  in  the  evening,  after  all  the  guests  had  ar 
rived  and  been  presented,  the  Ambassador  went 
about  among  them  with  his  usual  care-free,  genial 
manner.  I  saw  him  offer  his  arm  to  an  old  baroness, 
one  of  the  ladies  in  waiting  to  the  Queen  and  an 
important  personage  in  political  affairs,  and  carry 
her  off  to  show  her  the  Embassy.  Though  she  did 
not  speak  a  word  of  English,  they  appeared  to  hit 
it  off  immensely  well.  The  Ambassador  would 
point  to  a  picture  and  say:  "That's  the  Capitol  at 
Washington,"  and  she  would  answer:  "Ah!  C'est 
un  magnifique  edifice;  n'est-ce  pas?"  "Yes,  I  sup 
pose  you  would  call  it  magnificent.  Never  been 
there?"  "Je  regrette  tellement.  Man  neveu  y  a  ete, 
aussi  a  New  York.  II  m'en  a  raconte  des  chases  mer- 
•veilleuses!"  "Yes,  New  York  is  a  great  place; 


144  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

everything  there  on  the  move."  "Oui,  c'est-ce  qu^il 
m'a  dit — beaucoup  de  mouvement"  And  so  they 
went  on,  each  catching  at  a  familiar  word  and  using 
it  as  a  clew  to  the  subject  the  other  was  discussing, 
and  both  of  them  having  a  really  good  time.  When 
he  had  piloted  her  to  a  comfortable  chair  in  the 
dining-room  and  left  her  in  charge  of  a  sympathetic 
waiter  who  evidently  knew  her  taste  and  began 
piling  her  plate  with  caviare — by  the  way,  they  serve 
it  here  in  bowls  and  ladle  it  out — he  had  made  a 
friend  of  her  for  life.  As  he  moved  toward  some  one 
else  she  turned  to  a  friend  and  said:  "Le  vrai  type 
americain!  Mais,  en  meme  temps,  tout  a  fait  char- 
mant!" 

Victoire  was  in  her  favorite  ambiente.  She  is 
quite  confident  that  the  success  of  our  Embassy  is 
entirely  due  to  her.  She  and  Mrs.  Colborne  are 
quite  inseparable.  She  comes  every  morning  and 
spends  an  hour  recounting  the  gossip — one  might 
call  it  scandal — of  the  town,  which  reaches  us  even 
tually  through  Mrs.  Colborne.  The  Ambassador 
still  looks  upon  her  with  suspicion  and  is  frankly 
disgusted  with  the  stories  she  tells  his  wife. 

"If  you  believe  everything  that  woman  tells  you, 
Jenny,"  he  commented,  "you  wouldn't  find  a  vir 
tuous  woman  in  this  country." 

"Their  moral  standards  are  slightly  different  from 
ours,  John,"  Mrs.  Colborne  protested.  "As  this 
country  is  Roman  Catholic,  there  are  no  divorces; 
for  that  reason,  what  we  should  frown  upon  at  home 
and  call  irregular  is  accepted  here  as — 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  145 

"As  what?" 

Mrs.  Colborne  floundered.  The  Ambassador 
frowned  and  put  his  hand  on  hers. 

"Look  here,  Jenny,  don't  let  that  woman  fool 
you  into  thinking  immorality's  not  immorality. 
No  matter  what  excuse  you  make  for  it,  down  at 
bottom  it's  always  the  same  thing.  And,  mind  you, 
the  one  who  puts  up  the  strongest  talk  in  favor  of 
it  is  the  worst  rotter  of  the  lot,  every  time.  I  never 
did  like  that  Stanlau  woman.  The  cologne  she  uses 
gives  her  away!" 

Nevertheless,  Victoire  continues  to  be  a  constant 
visitor. 

After  two  hours  Kate  and  I  had  succeeded  in  seat 
ing  three  guests  for  the  dinner.  The  great  difficulty 
had  been  where  to  put  the  Greek  Minister's  wife.  In 
the  midst  of  our  discussion  a  footman  entered  and 
said  that  Mr.  Dal  ton  would  like  to  come  in  to  tea. 
Kate,  of  course,  sent  word  that  she  would  be  de 
lighted.  She  does  it  just  to  make  me  furious ! 

She  welcomed  him  with  quite  unnecessary  warmth. 

"I'm  so  glad  you've  come.  We  are  having  a 
frightful  time  seating  these  wretched  people  for 
dinner." 

Dalton  leaned  over  the  placement  board,  pretend 
ing  to  examine  it;  it  was  only  an  excuse  to  be  nearer 
Kate. 

"I  thought  Comtesse  de  Stanlau  was  going  to  do 
this  for  you?" 

"She  said  she  would.    But  I  thought  I  might  as 


146  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

well  learn.  It  appears  to  be  such  an  important  part 
of  diplomacy." 

"Indeed  it  is.  If  you  were  to  place  the  wife  of 
the  Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs  on  the  left  of  the 
host — she  would  probably  leave  the  table.  I  re 
member  once  the  wife  of  one  of  my  chiefs  said  she 
was  going  to  place  the  guests  not  according  to  rank 
but  beside  people  they  would  enjoy  talking  to.  She 
did;  and  all  the  guests  left  immediately  after  dinner 
and  never  even  left  dinner-cards." 

Kate  laughed;  then  sighed.  "Dear  me,  why  are 
they  so  exigeant  about  so  small  a  thing!  I  shall 
never  learn  all  their  foolish  rules!" 

Dalton  looked  at  her  admiringly.  "You  will 
learn,"  he  said  warmly,  "because  you  don't  laugh 
at  what  the  foreigner  considers  important.  The 
great  trouble  with  us  is  that  we  are  too  intolerant 
of  other  peoples'  customs.  They  have  had  theirs 
much  longer  than  we  have  had  ours  and  surely  de 
serve  some  consideration.  It  is  just  on  that  point 
that  most  American  diplomatists  fail.  If  a  certain 
form  is  not  used  in  America  they  don't  see  why  it 
should  be  in  Europe." 

Kate  looked  up  at  him,  thoughtful.  "You  really 
think  there  is  some  hope  for  me?" 

"You  would  be  an  immense  success " 

"As  what?" 

"As  a  diplomatist's  wife." 

She  colored  and  looked  down.  It  was  her  own 
fault.  She  had  given  him  an  exceptional  opportu 
nity  and  he  was  too  sharp  to  let  it  go  by. 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  147 

"I  think  we  have  the  most  important  guests  in 
their  proper  places,"  she  began  hurriedly.  "It  is 
the  Greek  Minister's  wife  who  is  bothering  us." 

Dalton  examined  the  plan  and  finally  indicated 
the  difficult  lady's  position.  Kate  wrote  down  the 
name. 

"Would  you  care  to  enter  the  Diplomatic  Serv 
ice?"  Dalton  asked  after  a  slight  pause.  "  I  mean — 
permanently?" 

Kate  sent  me  a  quick  glance.  "I'm  afraid  it  is 
not  certain  enough  as  a  career.  I  should  hate  to  lose 
my  position  with  a  change  of  administration." 

"  Only  ambassadors  and  ministers  do  that.  A  sec 
retary  is  fairly  permanent." 

This  was  getting  entirely  too  personal  to  please 
me.  I  found  myself  growing  furious  with  both  of 
them  and,  making  some  inadequate  excuse,  I  left 
the  room.  If  Dalton  has  reached  the  point  where 
he  is  going  to  propose,  with  or  without  an  audience, 
it  will  be  better  to  help  him  get  it  over  with  at  once. 

When  I  returned  the  Ambassador  and  Mrs.  Col- 
borne  were  in  the  room.  They  had  just  returned 
from  riding.  The  Ambassador  has  taken  up  this 
form  of  exercise  as  the  least  objectionable  of  all. 
There  is  no  decent  golf  course  here,  tennis  for  him 
is  out  of  the  question,  and,  as  he  admitted  himself 
that  he  was  getting  seedy  from  too  many  dinners 
and  parties,  he  has  gone  in  for  riding.  "Used  to 
do  it  when  I  was  a  kid,"  he  said.  "Never  since." 

He  looks  very  well  in  riding-togs,  though  I  fancy 
the  outfit,  which  was  made  here,  is  not,  to  his  mind, 


148  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

the  most  comfortable  for  the  purpose.  Indeed,  he 
was  complaining  of  it  when  I  entered  the  room.  Sit 
ting  in  a  low  chair,  with  his  booted  legs  stretched 
out  before  him,  he  was  using  rather  strong  language. 

"Hanged  if  I'll  ride  again  till  I  get  some  com 
fortable  things.  First — it's  these  infernal  boots. 
It's  like  having  all  my  teeth  pulled  to  get  'em  on. 
And  it's  a  damned  sight  worse  getting  'em  off ! 
And  the  horse — hippity-hop,  hippity-hop — till  I'm 
as  sore  as  a  boil.  When  I  was  a  boy  they  had 
horses  that  could  pace  and  rack  without  shaking 
all  your  insides  out  of  place.  These  horses  can't 
do  anything  but  trot.  Why  was  I  fool  enough  to 
let  Jenny  rope  me  into  all  this  tomfoolery!  She 
says  all  the  ambassadors  ride,  so  of  course  the 
American  Ambassador  must  ride!  .  .  .  She  says 
all  the  ambassadors  get  themselves  up  this  way, 
so  of  course  the  American  Ambassador  must,  too! 
.  .  .  She  says  all  the  ambassadors  drink  tea" — he 
rose  and  pressed  a  bell-button  with  violence — "but 
I  say,  damned  if  the  American  Ambassador  will ! 
Bring  me  a  high-ball — quick!"  he  called  to  the 
footman. 

Of  course  we  all  laughed.  It  is  good  to  see  him 
once  more  vigorous,  if  only  with  complaints. 

"Poor  dad !"  said  Kate.  "A  martyr  on  the  altar 
of  diplomacy!" 

The  Ambassador  looked  at  her  with  assumed 
anger.  "I  tell  you,  I'm  getting  sick  of  this  job," 
he  went  on,  stamping  up  and  down  the  room. 
"Nobody  to  talk  my  own  language  to !  Newspapers 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  149 

two  weeks  old !  Nobody  who  ever  heard  of  Amer 
ican  politics !  Dinner  at  nine  o'clock  and  then  noth 
ing  to  eat  but  a  la  things !  Dressed  up  all  the  time 
in  the  darnedest,  most  uncomfortable  things  you 
can  find !  Bowing  and  scraping  to  a  lot  of  people 
who'd  starve  if  they  had  to  make  a  living !  Why— 
I  can't  even  get  a  decent  haircut !"  He  threw  him 
self  heavily  in  a  chair.  "  Two  months  of  it  have  been 
enough  to  show  me  there's  only  one  place  in  the 
world  for  me— and  that's  the  U.  S.  A." 

We  gathered  about  the  tea-table  and  left  the 
Ambassador  to  his  restless  promenade  and  vociferous 
complaints.  When  he  had  exhausted  himself  he 
joined  us. 

"  I  don't  see  why  you  complain  so  bitterly  of  that 
costume,  John,"  Mrs.  Colborne  said  in  a  voice  meant 
to  be  soothing.  "I  think  you  look  quite  chic  in 
it." 

The  Ambassador  gave  a  loud  roar,  dug  his  hands 
deep  into  the  very  full  riding-breeches,  and  held 
them  out  so  as  to  accentuate  the  width;  with  feet 
as  wide  apart  as  he  could  get  them,  he  looked  at 
us  through  twinkling  eyes. 

"Chic!"  he  said,  rolling  the  word  with  an  unc 
tuous  sound.  "  Chic !  Yes — I  suppose  I  do  look 
chic.  I  guess  it's  my  legs  done  up  this  way.  Heard 
a  woman  say  once  that  if  a  man  got  his  legs  up  fancy 
enough  he  could  have  any  woman  he  wanted." 

A  footman  entered,  bearing  aloft  with  both  hands 
a  large  silver  tray  piled  high  with  visiting-cards. 

"What  in  the  world !"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Colborne. 


150  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

The  man  placed  the  tray  on  a  table  and  bowed 
low.  "Cards,  your  Excellency,  left  since  luncheon." 

Mrs.  Colborne  put  down  her  tea-cup  and  went  to 
the  cards,  overlooking  them  with  an  expression  on 
her  face  that  spoke  plainly — nothing  more  to  be  de 
sired.  At  such  times  she  gives  me  the  impression  of 
a  little  child  with  a  toy.  The  outward  symbols  of 
this  life  represent  to  her  the  great  things  of  existence. 
Her  mind  appears  occupied  with  consideration  of 
costumes,  menus,  visiting-lists;  there  is  no  room 
left  for  more  serious  things.  I  must  admit,  though, 
that,  like  all  those  who  give  much  thought  to  the 
subject  which  interests  them  most,  she  accom 
plishes  a  great  deal  in  that  direction.  Her  face,  as 
she  picked  up  the  cards  and  read  them,  was  beauti 
ful  in  its  contentment. 

"All  these  people  to-day!  There  must  be  a 
hundred  of  them!  La  Marquise  de  Trabinsky — 
Princesse  Planton — "  She  turned  to  the  Ambas 
sador.  "John,  there's  no  doubt  about  our  success !" 

His  face  suddenly  grew  grave.  "Your  success, 
Jenny — not  mine." 

I  saw  Kate's  face  change  quickly.  She  rose, 
slipped  her  arm  through  her  father's,  and  led  him 
toward  the  diagram  of  the  dinner-table.  Evidently 
she  was  trying  to  divert  him  from  the  disturbing 
thoughts. 

"Here  is  the  plan  of  our  first  official  dinner- 
table,  father."  She  glanced  up  at  him  with  an  ex 
pectant  smile.  "You  take  out  the  wife  of  the  Min 
ister  for  Foreign  Affairs." 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  151 

"Not  if  I  know  it,"  the  Ambassador  answered 
promptly.  "She  don't  speak  a  word  of  American. 
Give  me  something  easy." 

"But,  John" — Mrs.  Colborne  stopped  her  avid 
reading  of  cards  for  a  moment — "she  takes  prece 
dence." 

"I  don't  give  a  hang  what  she  takes.  I  won't 
take  her  out  to  dinner!" 

He  got  a  great  deal  of  pleasure  out  of  refuting 
their  suggestions  in  this  way.  I  always  have  the 
feeling  that  he  is  only  doing  it  to  get  a  rise  out  of 
them,  see  what  arguments  they  will  advance,  and 
in  the  end  give  in  as  if  it  actually  meant  a  great 
sacrifice  on  his  part.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  don't 
think  he  considers  the  details  Mrs.  Colborne  suffers 
over  one  way  or  the  other.  He  is  a  constant  exposi 
tion  of  the  belief  of  live  and  let  live. 

Mrs.  Colborne  invariably  takes  him  seriously; 
Kate  pretends  to. 

"But,  John"— Mrs.  Colborne  actually  left  the 
tray  of  cards — "you  must  take  her  in.  It's  diplo 
macy  ! " 

The  Ambassador  shook  his  head  doggedly.  "If 
it  is — then  damn  diplomacy!" 

Kate  tried  to  get  hold  of  his  hand.  He  drew  it 
away  quickly. 

"No.  I  said  I  wouldn't — and  I  mean  it.  If  you'd 
ever  watched  that  woman  eat  you'd  feel  the  same 
way.  I  don't  believe  she  ever  gets  a  square  meal 
till  somebody  gives  it  to  her.  She  gobbles  so  fast 
she  gets  choked  every  time." 


152  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

Mrs.  Colborne  went  dejectedly  back  to  her  cards. 
Kate,  however,  finally  got  hold  of  the  Ambassador's 
hand  and  stood  leaning  against  him  and  laughing 
softly  up  into  his  face.  It  was  delightful  to  see  the 
relaxing  frown  on  his  face.  In  the  end  he  leaned  over 
and  kissed  her.  "Oh,  well — anything  to  keep  peace 
in  the  family !  By  the  way,  Jenny,  guess  who  I  met 
on  the  street  to-day.  Old  Jim  Colt  and  his  wife. 
Here  for  a  few  days  only,  but  I  persuaded  them  to 
stay  over  for  our  big  dinner." 

Again  consternation  showed  on  every  one's  face. 

"But,  John,"  Mrs.  Colborne  cried,  "this  is  a  diplo 
matic  dinner ! " 

"They  won't  mind.  Anyhow,  I've  •invited  them; 
and  if  you  want  me  to  pass  an  hour  and  a  half 
sitting  by  your  distinguished  Mrs.  Foreign  Minister, 
you'd  better  make  a  place  for  them." 

Before  further  arguments  on  this  subject  ensued 
Victoire  was  ushered  in. 

"Ah,  bon  jour,  mes  amis!"  she  cried,  all  over  the 
place  at  once.  "But  it  is  a  family  council!"  This 
last  to  infer  that  she  felt  that  she  was  intruding, 
though  she  gave  no  sign  of  withdrawing.  She  shook 
hands  in  a  most  spirited  way  with  every  one  and, 
while  waiting  for  Kate  to  pour  a  cup  of  tea,  drew 
Mrs.  Colborne  a  little  aside. 

"Have  you  mentioned  that  little  affair  of  the 
check  to  your  husband,  ma  cherie?" 

Mrs.  Colborne's  eyes  grew  troubled.  "Not  yet. 
I  will,  though." 

"You  are  so  gentille!    When?" 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  153 

"To-day." 

"Merci  infiniment!  Delphine,  horrid  creature,  is 
pressing  me.  Otherwise — I  should  not  dream  of 
mentioning  it!"  Then,  turning  and  seeing  the  dia 
gram:  "Ah,  you  have  already  done  all  the  tiresome 
work.  Naughty  girl!" — to  Kate.  "You  should 
have  left  that  to  me.  But" — looking  closely  at  the 
names — "I  do  not  see  the  Baronne  de  Champville !" 

I  looked  at  Mrs.  Colborne,  she  looked  at  Kate, 
and  Kate  looked  at  her  father.  For  a  few  seconds 
we  were  silent,  each  a  little  anxious  over  the  ex 
planation  that  was  bound  to  come. 

"Surely  she  was  invited!"  continued  Victoire. 
"I  wrote  her  name  myself.  Quelle  tragedie! — if  she 
were  forgotten !" 

"She  was  not  forgotten."  Kate  finally  spoke. 
"Her  name  was  cancelled." 

"  By  whom  ?  "  Victoire's  face  expressed  incredulity. 

"By  my  father." 

"Mais  pourquoi?  She  is  one  of  the  most  impor 
tant  women  at  Court ! " 

She  turned  and  faced  the  Ambassador,  who  had 
stood,  since  her  entrance,  a  little  apart,  though 
watching  and  listening  to  everything  that  was 
taking  place.  Victoire  with  him  was  subtly  dif 
ferent  from  what  she  was  with  Mrs.  Colborne  and 
Kate.  Her  graceful  condescension,  always  her 
manner  to  them,  disappeared  entirely  before  the 
Ambassador.  Confronted  by  his  frankness  and  his 
penetrating  eyes,  she  was  quite  a  different  person, 
almost  timid  and  quite  ingratiating. 


154  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

The  Ambassador  came  forward  a  step  or  two. 
"I  do  not  consider  the  Baroness  de  Champville  the 
sort  of  woman  I  wish  my  wife  and  daughter  to 
know." 

There  was  no  doubt  about  the  sincerity  of  Vic- 
toire's  surprise.  "I  don't  think  I  understand!" 

The  Ambassador  frowned.  "I  have  heard  sev 
eral  people  recount  her  career.  You,  if  I  am  not 
mistaken,  told  my  wife." 

"That  was  mere  gossip !" 

"  Not  about  this  woman.  It  is  admitted  by  every 
one  to  be  true.  I  left  her  name  on  the  reception-list 
because  it  was  furnished  by  the  Court  and  I  did  not 
want  a  repetition  of  that  incident  which  occurred  at 
Rome,  when  the  wife  of  the  American  Ambassador 
was  so  criticised  for  living  up  to  her  moral  standards. 
If  the  Court  wants  that  sort  of  a  woman,  it  can  have 
her.  I  am  not  here  to  reform  society.  But  at  my 
private  entertainments,  where  the  guests  are  per 
sonally  invited  by  me,  I  am  not  going  to  have 
women  who  ought  to  make  their  sex  blush." 

Victoire  took  refuge  in  forced  laughter.  "You 
dear,  charming  Americans!  Will  you  never  learn 
to  separate  morals  from  position!"  Then,  with  a 
quick,  ingratiating  change:  "Perhaps  you  are  right, 
Monsieur  VAmbassadeur.  Especially  when  one 
thinks  of  your  beautiful,  innocent  daughter ! " 

Though  this  was  a  fairly  successful  sop  to  the 
Ambassador,  it  did  not  touch  Kate.  She  poured 
Victoire  a  cup  of  tea,  rose  to  bid  Dalton,  who  was 
leaving,  good-by,  and  signalled  me  to  follow  her  to 
the  other  side  of  the  room. 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  155 

"Don't  you  love  to  see  father  with  her?"  she 
said  in  a  lowered  voice.  "He  takes  the  wind  out 
of  her  sails  every  time.  Let's  watch  them  from  here 
and  see  what  else  he  will  say  to  her." 

Mrs.  Colborne  had  taken  a  chair  beside  Victoire, 
and  at  the  same  time  had  reached  out  and  put  her 
hand  in  the  Ambassador's,  drawing  him  nearer  to 
them. 

"John,  dear,"  she  said,  "you  know  the  Comtesse 
has  been  very,  very  kind  in  assisting  me  in  arranging 
my  visiting-list,  my  dinners;  indeed,  she  has  done 
everything  for  me.  You  haven't  an  idea  how  much ! 
It  is  hardly  a  business  arrangement" — she  looked  up 
at  him,  a  little  anxious — "but  I  feel  sure  the  Com 
tesse  would  appreciate  a  small  check." 

Victoire,  with  eyes  downcast,  modestly  stirred 
her  tea. 

"All  right,"  said  the  Ambassador.  "How  much, 
Countess?" 

Victoire  still  looked  down,  really  embarrassed 
beyond  words  that  it  should  be  necessary  to  discuss 
such  a  vulgar  subject.  "I  think  it  was  Mrs.  Col- 
borne's  suggestion  that  a  thousand  francs  a  week 
would  be — shall  we  say  adequate?" 

The  Ambassador  gave  an  abrupt  laugh.  "Ade 
quate  !  Two  hundred  dollars  a  week  for  keeping  my 
wife  posted  on  Court  scandals !" 

Victoire  permitted  herself  to  laugh,  though  in  a 
thoroughly  discreet  manner.  "Scandals,  your  Ex 
cellency,  are  the  mainspring  of  diplomacy." 

The  Ambassador  clasped  his  hands  behind  him. 


156  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

"Two  hundred  dollars  a  week!"  His  mouth  shut 
with  determination.  "It's  too  much!" 

"But,  John,"  Mrs.  Colborne  interrupted,  "I 
agreed  to  that  price." 

For  a  second  he  appeared  to  be  debating;  then, 
with  an  abrupt  movement,  he  pulled  a  check-book 
from  an  inside  pocket.  "All  right,  Jenny;  always 
stand  by  your  contract."  He  crossed  to  the  writing- 
table,  sat  down,  and  picked  up  a  pen.  Having  dipped 
it  in  the  ink,  he  held  it  poised  over  a  blank  check 
and  looked  at  Victoire.  "How  many  weeks,  Count 
ess?" 

"Eight,  your  Excellency." 

The  Ambassador  gave  a  low,  expressive  whistle. 
"Sixteen  hundred  dollars!  By  golly,  diplomacy's 
getting  expensive!" 

Mrs.  Colborne  leaned  nearer  Victoire,  pressed 
her  hand,  and  smiled  deprecatingly.  "Men  never 
understand  the  importance  of  such  things." 

"Jamais  de  la  vie"  sighed  Victoire. 

The  Ambassador  wrote  out  the  check,  tore  it 
from  the  book,  and  laid  it  aside.  Then  he  took  a 
sheet  of  paper  from  the  portfolio  and  wrote,  evi 
dently  with  great  care,  a  few  words.  I  saw  him 
stop,  scratch  his  head,  smile,  and  continue  writing. 
In  the  end  he  rose,  holding  the  check  in  one  hand, 
the  sheet  of  paper  in  the  other,  and  went  to  the  tea- 
table. 

"Here  you  are,  Countess." 

Victoire  looked  at  both  hands,  and,  making  no 
mistake,  reached  for  the  check. 


THE  AMERICAN-  AMBASSADOR  157 

Before  she  had  it  the  Ambassador  drew  back  his 
hand.  "I  almost  forgot.  First,  you  must  sign  this 
paper.  Shall  I  read  it  to  you?"  Victoire,  her  eyes 
alert,  nodded.  The  Ambassador  cleared  his  throat. 
"'I,'"  he  read,  "'Countess  Victoire  de  Stanlau, 
hereby  sign  my  name  in  receipt  for  eight  thousand 
francs  which  I  have  received  from  the  American 
Ambassador  for  services  rendered,  namely:  keeping 
his  wife  informed  of  all  the  gossip,  scandal,  and  com 
promising  events  connected  with  the  Court  and 
members  of  the  Royal  Family." 

Victoire  managed  to  keep  her  anger  under  control, 
though  it  burned  forth  violently  from  her  eyes. 
She  turned  from  the  Ambassador  with  a  cutting 
laugh. 

"Cest  impossible!  I  could  never  sign  such  a 
paper!" 

The  Ambassador,  with  every  appearance  of  re 
luctance,  folded  the  paper  and  put  it  in  his  pocket. 
aAll  right,  Countess.  You  know  best.  But  ever 
since  I  began  making  barbed-wire  fences  I've  never 
paid  out  money  without  having  something  to  show 
for  it." 

Victoire  turned  swiftly  back  to  him.  "If  I  signed 
that  paper  and  it  were  known — I  should  be  ruined ! 
Surely  you  know  that!  Suppose — suppose  my 
brother  were  to  see  it!" 

The  Ambassador  smiled.  It  was  a  thoroughly 
nice,  friendly  smile.  He  looked  exactly  like  a  big, 
good-natured,  simple  boy.  And  the  effect  upon 
Victoire  was  immediate.  "You  don't  think  I  would 


158  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

show  it  to  any  one,  do  you,  Countess  ?  It's  just  for 
you  and  me — our  little  secret — the  American  busi 
ness  way;  don't  you  see?" 

Victoire  looked  at  him  searchingly,  all  the  time 
met  by  his  warm,  bland  smile.  Finally,  with  a  quick 
gesture  of  decision,  she  walked  to  the  desk  and  sat 
down.  "I  shall  never,  never  understand  your  ex 
traordinary  American  methods,"  she  said. 

The  Ambassador,  quick  to  understand  her  de 
cision,  was  at  once  beside  her  and  spread  out  the 
receipt  before  her.  She  signed  it  with  her  dashing 
handwriting,  and  he  handed  her  the  check.  She 
immediately  crushed  it  into  her  gold  purse  and  rose. 
After  a  minute  or  two  she  left,  pleading  a  sudden 
headache.  I'm  sure  she  was  not  altogether  satisfied 
with  what  she  had  done. 

After  he  had  seen  her  to  the  door  the  Ambassador 
went  back  to  Mrs.  Colborne.  She  was  sitting, 
rather  disconsolately,  where  Victoire  had  left  her. 

"I  don't  know  that  I  am  altogether  pleased  with 
what  you  have  done,  John,"  she  said. 

The  Ambassador  threw  back  his  head  and  laughed. 
"What!  You  don't  know  what  you  are  talking 
about,  Jenny !  I've  made  you  a  friend  for  life. 
After  this  she'd  be  afraid  to  be  anything  else." 
Digging  his  hands  in  his  pockets,  he  proudly  in 
flated  his  chest  and  looked  across  at  Kate  and  me. 
"Just  giving  you  youngsters  a  little  lesson  in  Eu 
ropean  diplomacy.  Who  says  I'm  not  a  first-class 
intriguer!" 


XI 

February  15,  19 — . 

DINNERS  and  luncheons  and  teas — on  and  on 
without  end.  I  am  beginning  to  hate  the  sight  of 
my  engagement-book.  It  reminds  me  of  a  famous 
physician  I  once  consulted  who  looked  over  his 
appointment-book  and  told  me  he  could  give  me  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  in  about  three  weeks.  There  is 
only  one  thing  that  is  encouraging:  Lent  comes  early 
this  year,  and  then  everything  stops  off  short;  the 
season  is  finished;  and  those  who  have  come  to  town 
to  open  their  houses  and  entertain  for  two  months 
return,  in  litters,  I  should  think,  to  their  country 
estates,  there  to  rusticate  until  the  next  year.  If 
one  only  had  to  give  two  months  out  of  each  year 
it  might  be  supportable;  but  it  appears  that  diplo 
mats  stop  on  in  town  and  keep  it  up — one  might 
say  "whoop  it  up" — incessantly. 

The  Ambassador  has  begun  his  campaign  in 
earnest.  He  is  entertaining  all  the  Parliamentary 
leaders  and  having  long  talks  with  them.  Some 
times  I  am  present  to  act  the  part  of  interpreter,  and 
I  am  constantly  amused  to  find  these  politicians 
resembling  our  own — I  mean  in  appearance.  They 
all  have  what  the  French  have  so  cleverly  named 
la  gueule  gouvernementale.  I  wonder  if  political  ex 
perience  produces  this  cast  of  features,  or  if  the 

159 


160  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

possessor  of  such  a  countenance  is  unconsciously  and 
fatally  adapted  for  political  turmoil ! 

The  Ambassador  is  going  at  the  matter  in  a  per 
fectly  frank,  straightforward  manner.  He  has  told 
them  exactly  what  he  is  here  for  and  how  he  hopes 
they  will  aid  him.  As  he  has  told  them,  he  is  play 
ing  the  game  with  his  cards  face  up.  This  puzzles 
them  a  bit.  They  don't  understand  it.  They  think 
he  has  something  else  up  his  sleeve.  I  hear  that 
one  of  them  said  of  him:  "He's  either  a  fool  or  an 
exceptionally  clever  diplomat."  The  conservatives 
and  the  circle  immediately  about  the  King  are  with 
him;  the  radicals  and  socialists,  a  predominating 
vote,  are  against  him,  as  they  have  been  against 
this  question  for  years.  They  form  the  opposition 
which  former  ambassadors  have  been  unable  to 
conquer.  Comte  de  Stanlau  makes  the  situation 
unique  and  thoroughly  interesting.  Though  he  is 
the  leader  of  the  opposing  party  he  still  gives  ev 
ery  evidence  of  being  devoted  to  the  Ambassador. 
Their  conversations  on  the  subject,  up  to  the  pres 
ent,  have  been  unsatisfactory.  The  Ambassador 
tells  me  that  Stanlau  will  not  discuss  the  subject 
with  him,  always  avoiding  it  hi  some  clever  way. 
Of  course,  the  one  important  factor  is  whether  the 
information  contained  in  the  cable  has  reached  him 
or  not.  If  it  has,  he  has  the  Ambassador  wholly 
in  his  power;  it  would  be  a  very  simple  matter  for 
him  to  go  before  Parliament  when  the  bill  is  pre 
sented  and  kill  our  project  as  dead  as  Hector. 

The  uncertainty  is  telling  on  us  all,  except  the 


THE   AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  161 

Ambassador,  who,  strange  to  say,  after  the  first 
week  or  two  of  depression,  has  recovered  in  an  amaz 
ing  way.  I  think  it  is  the  fight  he  sees  before  him 
which  has  given  him  renewed  vigor.  He  is  the  type 
that  finds  repose  in  ceaseless  activity. 

After  opening  his  mail  the  other  morning  he 
called  us  into  his  office  and  beamed  upon  us. 

"The  cable  has  been  found !"  Dalton  exclaimed. 

For  a  second  a  shadow  crossed  his  face,  then  dis 
appeared.  "No,  not  that,  but  something  good — all 
the  same.  Remember  my  telling  you  about  my  visit 
to  the  Foreign  Minister — before  I  was  presented— 
how  I  told  him  about  wanting  to  build  those  two 
war-ships  for  them?  Well" — he  flaunted  an  official 
document  in  our  faces — "there's  the  contract!" 

"You  are  the  first  ambassador,"  drawled  Atkins, 
"who  ever  interested  himself  in  commercial  matters. 
That's  the  Consul's  work." 

The  Ambassador's  fist  came  down  with  a  bang. 
"And  it's  just  what's  the  matter  with  our  Diplo 
matic  Service.  Relations  between  countries  are  held 
together  by  different  ties,  among  them — commerce. 
I've  got  a  contract  for  my  country  to  build  two 
battleships — that  means  twenty  million  dollars — 
and  you  can't  tell  me  it  isn't  a  damned  sight  more 
important  than  having  the  Baroness  Fiddlesticks 
dine  at  this  Embassy!" 

I  have  told  Kate  my  suspicions  about  the  lost 
cable  and  in  consequence  am  somewhat  bewildered 
by  the  turn  of  events.  In  fact,  a  strange  sort  of 


1 62  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

fear  has  got  hold  of  me.  I  am  afraid  to  think  what 
may  happen. 

She  and  her  father  and  I  were  in  the  garden  hav 
ing  our  coffee  there  after  luncheon.  It  was  one  of 
those  spring  days  that  come  in  the  heart  of  winter 
and  deceive  one  into  thinking  the  cold  has  defi 
nitely  gone.  The  conversation  during  luncheon  had 
been  exclusively  about  the  list  of  Americans  to  be 
presented  at  Court.  This  problem  is  so  much  more 
difficult  for  an  American  ambassador  than  for  any 
other,  due  to  the  fact  that  other  ambassadors  can 
present  no  one  who  has  not  first  been  presented  to 
the  ruler  of  his  own  country.  As  all  Americans  have 
the  freedom  of  the  White  House,  that  is  no  help  in 
pruning  a  list  of  applicants.  Fortunately  the  pres 
entation  ceremony  here  is  most  simple.  It  takes 
place  in  the  afternoon  and  no  special  costume  is 
necessary.  Neither  Ambassador  nor  Ambassadress 
has  to  appear  with  those  who  have  been  sponsored 
by  the  Embassy;  so,  due  to  this  disappointing  sim 
plicity,  we  have  escaped  what  I  understand  is  one 
of  the  most  difficult  questions  in  London  and  Berlin 
and  Rome.  In  connection  with  this,  the  Ambas 
sador  told  Kate  and  me,  after  luncheon,  and  with 
considerable  annoyance,  that  he  had  mentioned 
that  morning  to  the  Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs 
that  he  wanted  to  include  the  Consul  and  Mrs. 
Haynes  in  the  list  to  be  presented. 

"By  golly!"  cried  the  Ambassador.  "Will  you 
believe  it  ? — he  had  the  cheek  to  refuse !  Says 
consuls  have  never  been  presented.  If  he  made  an 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  163 

exception  for  me  he'd  have  to  do  the  same  for  all 
the  others.  But,  mind  you,  I'll  get  those  people 
introduced  to  the  King  and  Queen  before  I  leave 
this  country — by  fair  means  or  foul !  I'll  show  these 
infernal  snobs  that  every  American,  every  last  one 
of  'em,  has  the  same  rights!" 

"Don't  you  think  you  worry  about  them  too 
much,  father?"  Kate  said.  "You  have  so  much  else 
that  is  more  important." 

"You  are  right  there,  Kitty;  but  that  poor  old 
soul  got  hold  of  my  sympathy  when  she  said  she 
couldn't  go  home.  Can  you  think  of  anything  worse 
than  that !  I'd  rather  be  shot  any  day  than  not  be 
able  to  go  back  home.  And  yet —  His  face  sud 
denly  grew  grave  and  he  stopped  abruptly. 

"What,  father?" 

He  put  his  arm  around  Kate  and  drew  her  down 
on  the  arm  of  his  chair.  "Kitty,  do  you  know,  if 
that  cable  by  any  chance  has  fallen  into  Stanlau's 
hands,  and  he  cares  to  expose  me,  I  may  not  be 
able  to  go  back  home,  either?" 

Kate  listened  with  alarm.  "You  mean  he  could 
use  it  against  you?" 

"Against  me ! "    The  Ambassador  laughed.  "  Well 

—I  guess  he  could !    And  against  the  whole  United 

States!     Ruining  me  is  the  small  part  of  it.     If 

Stanlau  has   that  cable  it  may   mean   anything — 

even  war  between  us  and  some  European  Power." 

Kate's  face  suddenly  grew  white.  "But  surely 
they  can't  blame  you !" 

"Why  not?    It's  all  my  fault.     My  Government 


164  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

trusted  me  with  the  information — and  I  was  fool 
enough  to  let  it  get  out  of  my  hands." 

"You  can  explain!" 

The  Ambassador  held  out  his  hands  with  a  ges 
ture  of  futility.  "What?" 

Kate  rose  and  looked  at  him  with  eyes  full  of 
deep  affection.  Her  hands,  held  before  her,  moved 
nervously  with  interclasping  fingers;  her  hair, 
touched  by  the  sun,  gleamed  against  her  pale  face. 
She  remained  silent  a  little  while,  her  eyes  gradually 
changing  into  an  expression  of  deep  thought.  "Then 
you  are  in  Comte  de  Stanlau's  power!"  She  said 
it  with  such  gravity  that  both  of  us  looked  at  her, 
startled. 

"Don't  take  it  so  to  heart,  Kitty."  The  Am 
bassador  tried  to  make  his  tone  gayer.  "All  this 
may  be  a  tempest  in  a  teapot.  We  talk  about  his 
having  it  because  he  is  the  one  man  who  would  have 
known  anything  about  it  and  would  try  to  get  hold 
of  it.  There  is  no  doubt  that  he  knows  a  part  of 
the  information  embodied  in  the  cable  because  he 
is  involved  in  it;  but  he  doesn't  know  the  most  im 
portant  part  of  it,  and  I  dare  say  he  would  give  any 
thing  to  get  hold  of  it.  Do  you  see?" 

Kate  nodded.  She  had  remained  quite  motionless 
during  the  explanation.  When  the  Ambassador  had 
finished  she  repeated  her  comment:  "Then  you  are 
in  Comte  de  Stanlau's  power!"  It  was  as  if  she 
were  trying  to  impress  the  meaning  of  the  words 
upon  her  mind  and  found  their  full  import  difficult 
to  believe. 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  165 

Again  the  Ambassador  attempted  gayety .  "  There's 
no  telling  what  may  happen  before  it  comes  to  a 
show-down.  Parliament  doesn't  open  till  next  month. 
You  can  bet  your  bottom  dollar  I  won't  give  in  till 
I  go  under!" 

Kate  did  not  respond  to  his  lighter  tone.  She 
watched  him  steadily  through  her  increasing  serious 
ness. 

"Have  you  talked  to  him  about  it?" 

"  About  the  cable  ?    Well,  hardly ! " 

"No — no.  I  mean  the  matter  as  it  is  known 
and  as  it  will  be  presented  to  Parliament." 

"I've  tried  to,  but  it's  always  ' Excellency  this 
and  Excellency  that,'  an,d  never  a  word  about  the 
gist  of  the  matter." 

"Yet  you  feel  he  will  oppose  you?" 

"I  know  he  will." 

She  lowered  her  eyes  for  a  moment.  "I  believe 
if  you  talked  to  him  very  frankly  about  the  whole 
thing  he  would  help  you.  Surely — surely  he  gives 
us  every  evidence  of  his  friendship.  If  he  knew 
what  it  meant  to  you,  I  believe" — she  met  his  eyes 
with  a  confident  smile — "I  believe  he  would  with 
draw  his  opposition." 

The  Ambassador  roared.  "Foolish  Kitty!  Al 
ways  looking  for  the  good  in  people !"  He  rose  with 
a  noisy  yawn.  "Forget  all  about  it,  daughter. 
Even  if  we  can't  go  back  home" — he  leaned  close  to 
her  and  pinched  her  cheek — "we  can  have  a  good 
time  travelling  around  over  here !  Thank  God  !— 
We've  got  plenty  of  money!" 


1 66  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

The  tears  began  to  show  in  her  eyes.  "Father— 
don't!"  Then,  eagerly:  "Please  talk  to  Comte  de 
Stanlau.  If  you  don't — I  will." 

He  took  her  by  the  shoulders,  almost  roughly, 
and  looked  closely  and  squarely  into  her  eyes. 
"Listen  to  me,  Kitty.  This  is  my  affair,  not  yours. 
Do  you  understand?  Now,  once  for  all,  remember 
this — your  hands  off !  Don't  you  dare  speak  to 
Stanlau!"  He  shook  her  playfully.  "Promise  me, 
Kitty." 

"I  can't,  father." 

This  took  him  by  surprise.  In  a  moment  all  the 
affection  had  left  his  face.  "Kitty — you  can — and 
you  will." 

It  was  strange  to  see  the  strength  of  their  similar 
natures  battling  against  each  other;  and  there  was 
no  show  of  weakness  on  either  side.  They  stared  at 
each  other  for  an  interminably  long  time. 

Finally  Kate  spoke.  "I  will  promise  you  this. 
I  will  not  speak  to  Comte  de  Stanlau  until  I  know 
positively  that  he  has  the  cable." 

The  Ambassador's  features  relaxed.  I  believe  he 
was  glad  of  a  chance  to  end  the  test  of  their  wills. 
"That's  safe  enough,"  he  said  lightly.  "We'll  never 
know  for  certain  till  the  matter  is  before  Parliament." 

He  left  us  a  few  minutes  after  this,  and  as  he 
walked  off  we  both  watched  him.  He  has  that  ex 
pressive  feature  of  a  strong  man — a  broad,  solid, 
capable  back.  With  his  shoulders  squared  and  his 
head  thrown  back,  he  looked  fit  and  capable  to  con 
quer  any  situation. 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  167 

When  I  turned  to  Kate  she  had  sunk  down  on 
the  bench  and  was  crying  softly.  I  cursed  the 
proximity  of  the  house  and  its  hundred  watching 
windows.  All  I  could  do  was  to  stand  near  her  and 
try  to  make  mere  words  sound  sympathetic.  It  was 
the  first  time  I  had  seen  her  cry  and  it  hurt  me  in 
expressibly.  I  seem  to  remember  having  done 
nothing  but  implore  her  to  stop.  When  she  did, 
she  looked  up  at  me  with  the  most  dazzling  look  in 
her  eyes. 

"Have  you  ever  loved  some  one  whose  happiness 
meant  more  to  you  than  your  own?"  she  asked. 

"I  do  now." 

She  answered  this  with  a  compensating  smile. 
"Surely  he  will  not  be  disgraced;  will  he?  It  can't 
be  as  bad  as  he  thinks ! "  She  searched  my  face  for 
encouragement.  I  fear  she  found  none.  "Don't 
be  afraid  to  answer  me !  I  can  stand  it.  I  want  to 
know  exactly  how  bad  it  is  going  to  be.  If  you 
love  me  as  you  say  you  do — now  is  the  time  to  prove 
it.  Save  my  father !" 

"Kate!"  I  cried,  then  stopped.  If  the  time  were 
ever  to  come  for  me  to  tell  her  my  suspicions,  it  was 
surely  now.  I  sat  down  on  the  bench  beside  her;  I 
tried  to  say  something  and  failed;  I  ended  by  light 
ing  a  cigarette. 

"Kate,"  I  began  again.  "Tell  me — do  you  think 
a  man  ever  has  the  right  to  come  between  a  man  and 
his  wife?" 

She  looked  up  surprised  and  began  drying  her  eyes. 

"I  mean — say  something  that  would  make  a  man 


1 68  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

lose  faith  in  his  wife,  even  if  it  were  going  to  save 
hun  from  ruin?" 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

I  settled  back  on  the  bench  and  decided  to  take 
the  plunge.  Be  the  result  what  it  may,  I  cannot 
help  thinking  it  was  the  right  thing  to  do. 

"When  I  first  came  here,"  I  said,  "I  overheard 
two  conversations.  It  was  not  exactly  eaves 
dropping — at  least  not  in  the  sense  of  my  having 
deliberately  gone  about  it.  The  first  was  between 
Comtesse  de  Stanlau  and  Atkins.  It  was  about  you 
and  Stanlau.  It  was  the  first  intimation  I  had  that 
he  had  known  you  in  Washington.  The  second  was 
between  him  and  your  stepmother." 

Kate  turned  and  faced  me.  Her  eyes  were  dry 
now  and  full  of  growing  anxiety. 

"Go  on,"  she  said  in  a  low  voice. 

"He  was  talking  to  her  of  his  love  for  you.  He 
was  very  much  in  earnest.  He  was  urging  your 
stepmother  to  help  him  in  winning  your  love.  He 
said  he  was  willing  and  ready  to  do  anything  that 
she  might  suggest." 

"Well?" 

"She  said  that  you  were — let  me  see,  I  want  to  be 
exact — she  said  that  you  were  very  difficile,  that  it 
would  be  necessary  first  to  win  your  trust;  this 
once  accomplished,  he  must  do  something  to  put 
you  under  obligations  to  him." 

I  stopped  short  and  watched  Kate's  face.  It  was 
clear  enough  that  she  had  not  given  the  same  sig 
nificance  to  the  words  that  I  had. 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  169 

I  started  in  another  direction.  "  Your  stepmother 
was  not  opposed  to  your  marrying  Stanlau,  was 
she?" 

"No — I  should  say  not."  She  shook  her  head 
with  impatience.  "She  has  even  urged  it  since  we 
have  been  here.  I  had  to  tell  her  that  I  would  not 
listen  to  her  on  that  subject  any  more." 

"What  are  her  arguments?"  I  asked,  anxious  to 
see  if  they  fitted  in  with  my  theory. 

"Oh,  what  you  might  imagine!  A  fine  title — 
picturesque  chateau — a  position  at  Court — all  the 
things  that  mean  absolutely  nothing  to  me."  She 
ended  with  a  little  laugh. 

"Nothing  else?" 

"What  else  could  there  be?" 

"I  mean — the  advantage  it  might  be  to  your 
father?" 

Her  brows  grew  slowly  together.  "Once  she  said 
something  about  such  a  marriage  being  a  reclame 
for  my  father — his  having  successfully  landed  me 
with  a  good  title." 

I  lighted  another  cigarette  and  smoked  a  short 
while  in  silence. 

"Has  it  never  occurred  to  you,  Kate,  that  your 
stepmother  might  consider  your  marriage  to  Stanlau 
very  helpful  to  your  father  in  accomplishing  what 
he  came  here  to  do?" 

A  dull  scarlet  began  to  show  in  her  cheeks.  For 
the  first  time  she  was  beginning  to  catch  the  drift 
of  my  meaning.  I  hurried  on. 

"She  may  not  have  considered  that  cable  very 


170  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

important  when  your  father  showed  it  to  her. 
Some  people  might  not  realize  its  significance;  that 
is  quite  reasonable.  She  might  have  thought  it  a 
good  opportunity  for  Comte  de  Stanlau  to  gain 
your  appreciation  and  show  his  friendship  for  your 
father." 

She  turned  quickly  and  grasped  my  hand.  "You 
mean ?" 

"Mrs.  Colborne  was  the  last  one  who  had  the 
cable." 

Neither  of  us  spoke  again  for  a  long  time.  With 
Kate's  hand  clasped  in  mine  I  looked  straight  ahead, 
fearing  to  meet  her  eyes.  I  was  not  sure  that  she 
would  not  resent  my  suspicions,  though,  since  our 
engagement,  I  had  become  fairly  sure  that  her  love 
for  her  stepmother  consisted  entirely  of  loyalty  to 
her  father. 

"It  is  quite  impossible !"  she  said  at  last. 

"I  sincerely  hope  so." 

"And  yet — if  it  were  true—  She  broke  off  with 
a  sob.  "Poor  dad!" 

"He  ought  to  be  told  at  once,"  I  went  on.  "He 
ought  to  ask  her  and  know  the  truth.  It  might 
save  everything." 

Again  we  were  silent.  After  a  while  Kate  got  up 
and  walked  away  from  me.  I  watched  her  go 
slowly  down  the  gravel  path,  pass  the  fountain,  and 
disappear  in  the  shade  of  the  ilex  grove.  I  waited 
patiently,  knowing  that  she  would  return  after  she 
had  mastered  the  doubts  that  were  troubling  her. 

It  must  have  been  a  quarter  of  an  hour  before 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  171 

she  returned,  walking  as  slowly  as  when  she  had 
gone.  Her  whole  expression  gave  me  the  feeling 
that  she  had  suddenly  grown  away  from  me.  She 
was  almost  cold  and  remote. 

She  sat  down  on  the  bench  beside  me. 

"I  will  ask  her  to-night;  and  I  will  find  out  the 
truth."  She  said  this  with  cold  determination;  then 
her  voice  softened.  "But  it  must  be  between  you 
and  me  only.  No  one  else  must  know  of  it.  My 
father — never !  You  said  he  should  know;  that 
must  never  be.  If  she  has  done  this  and  he  were  to 
know  it,  he  would  never  trust  her  again — he  would 
hate  her — he  would —  She  stopped  in  an  excess 
of  emotion.  "It  would  ruin  his  life  and  accomplish 
nothing.  Public  disgrace  is  far  better  than  shattered 
faith!"  She  rose  and  held  out  her  hand  to  me. 
Once  more  I  had  the  feeling  that  something  had 
come  between  us.  "You  will  not  mention  this  to 
my  father?" 

I  tried  to  convince  her  that  I  would  do  nothing 
without  her  approval. 

"You  will  let  me  know  what  you  find  out?"  I 
asked. 

She  nodded  without  speaking. 

We  were  walking  back  to  the  house  now.  The 
sun  had  disappeared  behind  some  clouds  and  the 
garden  had  suddenly  grown  cold  and  dreary. 

"And  your  promise  to  your  father?" 

We  had  reached  the  door.  I  held  it  open  for  her. 
With  a  very  gentle,  sweet  gesture  she  put  her  hand 
on  my  shoulder  and  let  it  rest  there  a  moment. 


172  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

"Of  course  I  will  keep  my  promise  to  him."  Her 
voice  touched  me  deeply;  it  was  so  gently  pathetic. 
"Until— until  I  know." 


XII 

March  i,  19 — . 

SINCE  my  talk  with  Kate  in  the  garden  she  has 
been  strangely  different.  I  have  hardly  seen  her 
at  all.  Of  course  we  meet  at  many  houses,  sur 
rounded  by  hundreds  of  people,  but  I  have  not  had 
a  conversation  a  deux  writh  her  since  that  day.  I 
have  tried  to  make  engagements  with  her;  and  even 
though  I  have  pinned  her  down  once  or  twice,  she 
has  managed  each  time  to  make  some  excuse.  I 
have  complained  bitterly;  I  have  even  been  reduced 
during  the  past  week  to  writing  her  furious  notes, 
which  I  regretted  as  soon  as  I  had  sent  them  to  her; 
I  have  spent  hours  trying  to  explain  her  attitude, 
and  always  end  with  the  conviction  that  she  resents 
my  suspicions  of  her  stepmother.  Probably  it's  the 
same  old  story  of  meddling  in  other  people's  affairs 
—and  earning  their  whole-hearted  contempt  for 
doing  so.  Still,  I  had  the  right;  she  gave  it  to  me 
when  she  consented  to  become  my  wife;  and  I  should 
do  the  same  thing  again.  Indeed,  even  if  she  grows 
to  despise  me,  I  shall  go  on  until  I  unravel  this 
situation.  I  feel  now  that  I  am  quite  prepared  to 
repeat  my  suspicions  to  the  Ambassador  if  things 
come  to  the  worst.  All  this  sort  of  reasoning  is 
pure  piffle,  I  know;  there  must  be  something  else 
which  has  changed  Kate's  attitude  toward  me.  I 
am  more  troubled  over  her  not  telling  me  frankly 

173 


174  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

what  it  is  than  anything  else;  it  is  not  in  character 
for  her  to  act  this  way. 

In  desperation  I  have  been  frequenting  the  Hunt 
Club,  of  which  all  the  diplomats  are  members,  and 
it  may  lead  to  some  interesting  developments. 
Every  evening,  after  they  have  fulfilled  their  dinner, 
reception,  and  ball  engagements,  most  of  the  secre 
taries  and  smart  men  of  the  town  assemble  there. 
By  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  it  takes  on  quite  a 
jolly  air.  The  roulette-room  is  the  most  popular, 
though  there  are  always  several  tables  of  bridge 
where  the  stakes  are  sufficiently  high  to  interest 
even  South  Americans. 

Being  thrown  with  my  colleagues  in  the  informal 
ity  of  club  life — which,  by  the  way,  does  not  corre 
spond  in  any  sense  to  the  American  conception  of  a 
club;  I  mean,  it  is  not  used  as  a  meeting-place  to 
exchange  ideas  and  make  friends — I  have  become 
better  acquainted  with  them  and  have  even  made 
something  of  a  study  of  them.  It  has  been  said  that 
diplomatists  to-day  do  not  represent  the  strongest 
men  of  their  country,  that  such  are  needed  at  home 
and  prefer  to  remain  there.  Judging  from  my  col 
leagues,  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  this 
statement  is  true.  None  of  them  are  particularly 
clever  except  in  a  superficial  way;  they  appear  only 
moderately  interested  in  international  questions;  in 
fact,  their  main  object  in  life  seems  to  be  to  have  a 
pleasant  time  with  the  smallest  possible  expendi 
ture  of  effort  in  any  direction.  Occasionally  you 
will  find  one  who  is  well  read,  though  he  is  looked 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  175 

upon  by  the  others  as  a  bore  to  be  avoided  at  all 
costs.  As  for  their  conversations,  they  are  banal  to 
an  extreme  degree.  A  few  days  ago  I  had  a  letter 
from  a  friend  at  home  in  which  she  said  that  she 
envied  me  the  stimulating  talk  I  must  hear  at  diplo 
matic  dinners.  I  immediately  wrote  her  a  conver 
sation  which  had  taken  place  during  the  dinner  I 
had  attended  the  night  before.  It  was  between  two 
ambassadors,  with  an  occasional  diversion  now  and 
then  from  the  wife  of  one  of  them.  It  was  entirely 
on  the  subject  of  how  many  hours  off  duty  each 
servant  demanded.  Human  and  important  enough, 
I  admit,  but  hardly  what  one  goes  into  diplomacy  to 
hear.  I  suppose,  though,  one  might  call  it  an  inter 
national  topic,  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  it  is  dis 
cussed  with  every  bit  as  much  entrain  in  the  heart 
of  Africa.  It  recalls  the  story  of  the  servant  who, 
when  he  returned  to  the  pantry  between  courses, 
was  asked  by  the  kitchen-maid  what  ah1  those  fine 
folks  at  table  were  talking  about,  and  his  laconic 
reply:  "  'Bout  us." 

The  younger  secretaries  are  quite  smart,  at  least 
from  a  Continental  conception  of  smartness,  which 
is  different  from  that  of  England  and  America. 
They  wear  ruby  and  emerald  studs  in  their  eve 
ning  shirts,  have  their  clothes  cut  ridiculously  tight, 
and  are  decidedly  rastaquouere.  Still,  they  have  a 
certain  elan  that  isn't  bad.  There  is  no  drinking 
to  excess;  usually  vermouth  and  seltzer,  or  some  in 
sipid  cordial,  and  most  of  all  a  sweet  syrup  with 
water.  I  don't  think  I  have  seen  ice  since  I  have 


176  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

been  here,  except  in  the  Ambassador's  high-balls. 
The  European  idea  of  drunkenness  is  interesting. 
You  may  steal  all  the  money  you  can  get  hold  of, 
you  may  run  off  with  as  many  married  women  as 
you  please,  break  up  families,  and  flaunt  your  mis 
tresses  in  every  one's  face,  but  if  you  get  drunk  you 
are  at  once  kicked  out  of  the  clubs  and  looked  upon 
as  anything  but  a  gentleman. 

I  find  Comte  de  Stanlau  is  an  habitue  of  the  Hunt 
Club.  I  find  also  that  he  is  one  of  the  most  reckless 
players.  Every  night  when  I  arrive  he  is  already 
installed  at  a  bridge  table  and  is  almost  continu 
ously  successful.  The  rumor  goes  that  he  keeps 
the  wolf  from  the  door  with  his  winnings  at  bridge. 
When  he  is  dummy  he  strolls  about,  talking  gen 
erally  and  always  in  an  interesting  way.  He  is 
immensely  clever  and  has  a  great  deal  of  charm. 
He  has  been  particularly  nice  to  me,  always  invarij 
ably  courteous  and  solicitous,  and  went  so  far  the 
other  night  as  to  ask  if  it  would  amuse  me  to  go  with 
him  the  next  day  to  one  of  his  estates  near  town. 
He  was  going  only  for  the  day;  we  should  be  back 
in  time  for  dinner.  I  accepted. 

It  was  a  beautiful  castle  of  the  eleventh  century, 
built  on  the  crest  of  a  solitary  hill  which  rose  abruptly 
out  of  a  flat  plain.  Clustered  about  the  castle  and 
clinging  to  it  for  protection — its  original  purpose- 
was  a  small  village.  Across  the  flat  plain,  miles 
away,  was  the  sea;  in  the  other  direction  rose  a  mass 
of  rugged  mountains,  some  of  the  peaks  covered  with 
snow. 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  177 

We  entered  by  a  portcullis,  crossed  a  drawbridge 
swung  between  massive  walls  where  one  could  see, 
in  the  arches  above,  the  openings  through  which 
defenders  used  to  pour  boiling  oil  upon  besiegers, 
and  entered  a  bare,  gloomy  courtyard.  It  was  in 
every  way  a  fighting  castle.  We  lunched  in  a  tower 
room  which  Stanlau  had  fitted  up  for  his  own  use, 
made  comfortable  through  an  artistic  use  of  old 
furnishings.  The  rest  of  the  castle  appeared  quite 
desolate  and  gone  to  ruin. 

After  luncheon  he  excused  himself  in  order  to 
have  some  consultations  with  his  tenants.  I  was 
left  alone  for  an  hour  or  two,  and  all  the  time  my 
thoughts  centred  about  this  man.  There  are  few 
things  as  interesting  as  the  study  of  a  man  who  loves 
the  same  woman  you  do.  I  could  hardly  keep  from 
laughing  at  myself  as  I  grudgingly  admitted,  one  by 
one,  Stanlau's  attractive  qualities.  He  has  so  much 
that  a  simple  American  like  myself  can  never  have. 
Most  of  all,  he  has  such  an  extraordinary  back 
ground.  Think  of  owning  a  castle  which  has  been 
in  your  family  since  the  eleventh  century !  To 
a  woman  of  imagination,  that  would  appear  quite 
enough  attraction  for  one  man  to  possess;  and  Kate, 
I  am  beginning  to  regret,  has  imagination.  He  is 
unusually  well  educated — one  might  say  gracefully 
so.  He  is  familiar  with  the  literature  of  every  coun 
try.  His  understanding  of  the  history  of  the  United 
States  is  much  deeper  than  mine;  he  even  discussed 
the  influence  of  "Uncle  Tom's  Cabin"  on  our  Civil 
War.  He  has  a  discriminating  taste  in  art,  knows 


178  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

music  thoroughly,  and  yet  withal  in  no  way  sug 
gests  a  pedant.  Add  to  this  an  exceptionally  at 
tractive  physical  appearance,  strongly  masculine, 
and  you  will  have  a  fairly  correct  idea  of  what  Comte 
de  Stanlau  is  like. 

Our  conversation  was  animated  yet  very  care 
fully  impersonal.  I  tried  to  get  him  to  express  how 
he  felt  on  many  subjects.  His  answers  were  inva 
riably  what  he  thought.  My  failure  to  get  beneath 
the  skin  is  the  same  experience  I  have  with  all  for 
eigners.  They  never  bridge  the  chasm  which  sepa 
rates  us;  they  never  let  us  know  what  they  feel. 

Only  once  did  he  make  a  remark  which  may  throw 
some  light  on  his  character,  and  even  that  was  more 
a  characteristic  of  race  than  of  individual.  We  had 
been  discussing  an  American  singer  and  her  success, 
which  we  both  agreed  was  due  more  to  her  beauty 
than  to  her  voice.  He  laughingly  said:  "Mais,  c'est 
toujours  la  meme  chose,  les  yeux  du  monde  sont  tou- 
jours  plus  intelligents  que  les  oreilles!  And  your 
American  women — how  shall  I  say  it — are  such 
perfect  animals!"  I  hardly  think  it  would  be 
exaggerating  to  say  that  every  woman,  to  a  Euro 
pean  man,  is  invariably — how  shall  I  say  it — a 
physical  matter. 

There  are  several  American  women  here  married 
to  men  who  bear  the  best  names  and  titles  of  this 
country.  They  have  been  interesting  to  know  and 
to  observe.  So  much  has  been  written  on  the  sub 
ject  of  international  marriages  that  I  have  wished  to 


179 

obtain  a  personal  opinion  on  the  question.  The 
marriages  here  appear  outwardly  successful;  and 
yet,  recently,  a  woman  to  whom  I  had  letters  of  in 
troduction,  and  whom  my  family  had  known  as  a 
girl,  told  me  a  most  amazing  story  of  her  life  with 
her  husband.  Her  excuse  for  narrating  it  in  all  its 
bare  details  was  her  hope  that  the  Embassy  in  some 
way  might  assist  her  in  evading  the  laws  of  this 
country.  She  has  been  married  to  a  well-known 
and  apparently  much-liked  man  for  eighteen  years. 
From  the  beginning  she  has  known  nothing  but 
unhappiness  with  him,  due  principally,  I  think,  to 
the  fact  that  she  loves  him  and  thus  suffers  through 
his  infidelities.  An  extraordinary  quality  which 
these  European  husbands  possess  is  that  of  retain 
ing  the  love  of  their  American  wives  in  spite  of  any 
thing  they  may  do.  This  woman  has  two  daughters, 
one  twelve,  the  other  sixteen.  She  tells  me  her 
husband  lives  most  of  the  time  with  his  mistress, 
whom  he  has  installed  in  a  handsome  villa  bought 
with  the  wife's  money,  and  that  once  a  week  he 
insists  upon  taking  his  daughters  there  so  as  to 
become  better  acquainted  with  their  half-brothers, 
his  illegitimate  sons.  When  the  wife  threatened 
separation,  he  only  laughed  and  told  her  that,  as  the 
children  are  invariably  given  to  the  father,  he  would 
take  them  with  him  to  be  brought  up  by  his  mis 
tress.  It  seems  impossible  that  any  civilized  coun 
try  should  have  such  a  brutal  law;  yet,  after  looking 
into  it,  I  find  that  the  husband's  statement  was  quite 
correct.  There  is  nothing  for  the  wretched  wife  to 


i8o  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

do  but  remain  with  him  and  protect  her  daughters 
as  best  she  can. 

I  am  told  that  this  is  not  an  unusual  case,  and 
that  many  of  our  friends  who  come  back  home  on 
short  visits  and  impress  us  with  their  resonant  titles 
and  castellated  estates  are  hiding  very  similar  family 
skeletons. 

The  raison  d'etre  for  all  this  rather  gloomy  re 
counting  is  purely  personal.  I  went  in  to  tea  this 
afternoon,  hoping  to  find  Kate  there,  and  instead 
found  Mrs.  Colborne  and  Victoire.  Both  of  them 
were  enjoying  cigarettes  after  their  tea,  though  the 
former's  pleasure  was  somewhat  handicapped  by 
the  necessity  of  watching  the  door  for  the  Am 
bassador's  entrance.  He  is  violent  on  the  subject 
of  women  smoking. 

It  was  plain  enough  to  see — in  fact,  they  took  no 
pains  to  hide  it — that  I  had  interrupted  a  confiden 
tial  talk.  Mrs.  Colborne  languidly  poured  me  a  cup 
of  tea;  Victoire  extended  her  limp  left  hand  to  be 
kissed,  which  I  didn't  do.  She  was  half  reclining  on 
a  sofa  and  watching  cigarette  smoke  curl  up  to  the 
ceiling. 

The  silence  remained  unbroken  for  quite  a  while. 
I  suppose  they  expected  me  to  gulp  my  tea  and  run; 
but  they  were  doomed  to  disappointment. 

"Yes — he  is  a  charmeur."  Victoire  finally  spoke, 
as  if  she  were  in  the  middle  of  a  sentence. 

Mrs.  Colborne  is  not  yet  accomplished  with  her 
cigarette.  She  choked  a  bit  before  replying.  "He 
is  quite  the  most  charming  man  I  ever  met.  I 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  181 

adore  the  way  he  looks  at  one.  American  men 
never  do  it  that  way." 

Victoire  laughed.  Her  whole  attitude  was  par 
ticularly  patronizing.  "American  men  haven't  the 
first  idea  of  how  to  look  at  a  woman.  But  my 
countrymen — ah!"  She  blew  a  cloud  of  smoke  be 
fore  her  and  assumed  a  pose  of  sensuous  exaltation. 
"Their  glance  burns  into  one's  soul.  We  are  to 
them  either  a  Madonna— or  a  female  ! " 

I  would  have  given  anything  if  the  Ambassador 
had  been  there;  it  would  surely  have  been  Victoire's 
last  visit. 

"It  is  strange,"  Victoire  continued,  evidently 
determined  to  ignore  my  presence  and  addressing 
herself  exclusively  to  Mrs.  Colborne,  "that  your 
stepdaughter  has  resisted  my  dear  brother  so  long. 
I  suppose,  though,  it  takes  a  femme  experimentee  to 
appreciate  him." 

"He  will  win  her  in  the  end,"  Mrs.  Colborne  re 
plied.  "I  have  noticed  a  change  in  her  during  the 
past  week — haven't  you  ?  "  This  last  was  addressed 
to  me.  I  ignored  the  question. 

"Of  course,  that  means  only  one  thing,"  she  went 
on  blandly.  "She  is  making  up  her  mind." 

Again  Victoire  laughed  patronizingly.  "What  a 
droll  expression — making  up  her  mind !  Why  should 
a  young  girl  consider  anything  if  she  is  in  love !  You 
dear,  delightful,  practical  Americans !  Besides — why 
shouldn't  her  father,  or  her  mother,  make  up  her 
mind  for  her!" 

The  Ambassador  and  Kate  came  in  at  this  mo- 


1 82  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

merit  and  the  atmosphere  was,  morally,  at  least,  at 
once  cleared.  Kate  was  flushed  and  appeared  ex 
cited.  Her  hand,  which  I  insisted  upon  shaking, 
though  she  tried  to  avoid  it,  was  icy  cold. 

The  Ambassador  sat  down  with  a  comfortable 
sigh.  He  and  Kate  had  ridden  out  to  the  Chateau 
de  la  Cascade  with  Stanlau.  "Not  much  of  a  water 
fall,"  he  said,  "  after  you've  seen  Niagara.  In  fact, 
I  call  it  a  blamed  poor  show  to  ride  eight  miles  to 
see.  How  was  it  from  the  castle,  Kitty?  Your 
brother,  Countess,  insisted  on  taking  Kate  up  in 
the  tower  to  see  the  view.  Too  much  of  a  climb 
for  me.  Was  it  worth  it,  Kitty?" 

"It  was  very  beautiful,"  she  answered  quietly. 

The  conversation  lagged.  No  one  had  anything 
to  say  that  interested  either  himself  or  a  listener. 
Finally,  Victoire  rose  to  leave.  The  Ambassador 
and  Mrs.  Colborne  went  with  her  through  the  suite 
of  reception-rooms.  My  chance  had  come. 

I  turned  swiftly  to  Kate  and  found  her  already 
standing.  Her  face  was  deadly  pale;  her  eyes  looked 
strangely  large  and  glowing.  I  have  never  seen  such 
an  expression  of  passionate  pleading  as  was  in  them. 

"Don't — don't — please  don't  say  anything,"  she 
murmured  as  I  tried  to  take  hold  of  her  hands.  "I 
have  just  written  you  a  note.  It  will  explain  every 
thing." 

I  stared  at  her,  my  heart  still  with  fear.  Before 
I  could  speak  she  had  turned  swiftly  and  reached  a 
door. 

"Kate,"  I  cried.    "You  can't  leave  me  this  way !" 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  183 

She  looked  at  me  out  of  her  miserable  eyes.  "My 
note  will  explain  everything." 

"But,  Kate— this  isn't  fair!" 

"I  cannot  help  it.     I  am  sorry." 

"Are  you  putting  me  out  of  your  life  forever?" 

She  put  up  both  hands  as  if  to  ward  off  a  blow. 
"Please — please  go.  My  note  will  tell  you  every 
thing." 

When  I  reached  my  rooms  her  note  was  there. 
It  was  written  in  pencil  and  evidently  in  a  hurry. 

"I  must  ask  you  to  release  me  from  my  engage 
ment  to  you.  We  were  both  mistaken.  I  have 
suddenly  realized  that  I  do  not  love  you.  Please 
don't  think  I  am  heartless  to  write  you  in  this  way; 
but  it  is  so  much  better  to  be  frank  and  honest.  I 
have  only  one  thing  to  ask  of  you:  please  be  my 
friend  still.  You  can — if  you  will  only  forgive  me. 
It  will  help  me  so  much.  I  know  I  am  asking  a 
great  deal  of  you — but  if  you  care  for  me  you  give 
me  that  right.  I  am  going  away  to-morrow  for  a 
fortnight.  When  I  come  back — it  will  be  easier  for 
us  both." 

I  tore  the  note  to  pieces,  threw  it  into  the  fire, 
watched  it  flame  up  and  crumble  into  ashes. 

So  this  is  the  end  of  my  happiness;  it  is  the  end, 
too,  of  my  experience  in  diplomacy.  I  shall  go  to  the 
Ambassador  to-morrow  and  ask  him  to  release  me. 
I  regret  leaving  him  just  as  he  is  in  the  midst  of 
breakers,  but  I  can  be  of  no  service  here  any  longer. 
I  haven't  the  heart  to  go  on  with  it.  I  suppose 


1 84  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

she  has  treated  Dalton  the  same  way,  and  many 
others.  After  all,  every  woman  is  the  same.  They 
want  to  see  a  certain  expression  in  a  man's  eyes 
—the  look  that  tells  them  nothing  in  the  world  is 
of  any  consequence  except  themselves — and  then, 
whiff,  out  of  their  lives  you  go.  Still,  I  can't  seem 
to  believe  she  is  that  sort.  Yet  her  note  was  so 
damnably  cold.  It  simply  told  the  truth  and  left 
it  at  that. 

Yes — there's  nothing  for  it  but  to  break  away 
from  the  whole  thing  and  go  home.  Why  did  I 
ever  come  over  here,  anyhow?  Damn  diplomacy! 


XIII 

March  10,  19 — . 

"WHAT  the  dickens  is  the  matter  with  you? 
You  look  like  you  had  been  pulled  through  a  key 
hole!" 

This  was  the  Ambassador's  greeting  to  me  when 
I  went  in  to  see  him  the  next  morning.  I  knew  it 
was  meant  to  be  sympathetic,  but  it  made  me  feel 
like  a  fool.  I  tried  to  manage  a  smile — it  must  have 
been  a  poor  and  sickly  one — and  sat  down. 

"May  I  talk  to  you  on  a  purely  personal  matter, 
sir?"  I  said. 

His  expression  changed  quickly;  a  sort  of  quick 
ening  into  gentleness.  "Something  gone  wrrong?" 

"Yes — a  good  deal.    I  want  to  go  home." 

He  whistled  softly.    "That  bad?" 

I  nodded.  "If  you  don't  mind — please  don't  ask 
me  to  tell  you  what  it  is." 

He  let  his  eyes  rest  on  me  a  full  minute,  then 
shifted  them  to  the  window.  In  the  silence  that 
followed  he  sighed.  "Love-affair — of  course." 

His  comment  made  me  start.  Had  Kate  told 
him? 

"What  makes  you  think  that,  sir?" 

His  smile  was  not  one  of  amusement;  it  was  of 
real  human  understanding.  "My  dear  boy,  the 
signs  are  unmistakable.  You  take  me  back  thirty 

185 


1 86  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

years — when  I  was  trying  to  marry  Kitty's  mother." 
He  rose,  crossed  to  where  I  was  sitting,  and  laid  his 
hand  on  my  shoulder.  "Has  she  thrown  you 
over?" 

I  nodded. 

"For  another  fellow?" 

"I  don't  know." 

"You  don't  know!  'Pon  my  word!  Didn't  she 
give  any  excuse?" 

"She  said  she  had  found  out  she  was  mistaken." 

"And  you  believed  her?"  This  with  increasing 
incredulity.  "By  golly!  You  ought  to  be  thrown 
over !  Wake  up !  Don't  you  see  she's  only  putting 
you  to  the  test?" 

I  shook  my  head.    "No — she  is  not  that  sort." 

At  this  he  laughed.  "Oh — come,  now.  You  are 
putting  her  on  a  pedestal.  We  all  do  that  when  we 
are  in  love.  It's  the  greatest  mistake  in  the  world. 
A  woman's  just  as  much  of  a  human  being  as  a 
man — only  sweeter  and  more  fractious.  Your 
girl's  trying  you  out  to  see  what's  in  you;  and,  bless 
goodness,  you've  fallen  down  at  the  first  fence." 

All  this  time  I  was  sitting,  dejectedly,  huddled  in  a 
large  leather  chair,  with  the  Ambassador  standing 
beside  me,  patting  me  now  and  then  on  the  shoulder. 
It  must  have  been  a  humorous  sight.  I  wish  I  might 
have  been  in  a  mood  to  enjoy  it. 

"American  girl?"  he  asked  after  a  pause. 

I  nodded. 

"Over  here?" 

Again  I  nodded. 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  187 

He  turned  away  and  went  to  the  window,  stand 
ing  there  with  his  back  to  the  room  and  looking  out. 
I  watched  the  outline  of  his  solid  back  in  silence. 
During  the  long  pause  it  gradually  drifted  in  on  me 
that  he  probably  knew  what  I  meant,  had  known 
all  along.  Indeed,  it  was  preposterous  to  imagine 
that  he  didn't  know.  He  was  too  keen  to  have  let 
such  an  obvious  situation  pass  unnoticed. 

When  he  came  back  to  the  desk  he  avoided  look 
ing  at  me. 

"Well,"  he  said,  pulling  some  letters  toward  him, 
"if  you  feel  you  don't  love  her  enough  to  stop  on  and 
fight  for  her,  I  shan't  stand  in  the  way  of  your 
going.  You'd  better  clear  out  at  once." 

His  words  stung  me  to  the  quick.  I  sprang  up  and 
went  to  him. 

"You  don't  understand,"  I  said,  my  voice  shak 
ing  with  anger.  "I'm  not  a  coward." 

"If  you  aren't  that — then  you're  a  fool." 

I  turned  toward  the  door,  furious. 

"Look  here,"  he  called  after  me.  I  stopped,  with 
my  hand  on  the  knob.  "No — come  back  here  and 
look  at  me.  I  never  talk  to  a  man's  back."  I 
turned  slowly  and  faced  him.  "How  old  are  you?" 

"Twenty-six." 

"H-m-m !  I  had  been  married  four  years  when  I 
was  your  age.  And  since  then  I've  been  married 
again.  You'll  admit  that  makes  for  a  little  experi 
ence;  won't  you?  Well.  You  say  you  love  this 
girl,  and  yet  you  give  her  up  just  because  she  wrote 
you  a  note  and  said  she  was  mistaken — or  something. 


1 88  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

Why,  boy,  that  ought  to  make  you  love  her  all  the 
more.  If  you  had  received  a  note  like  that  a  couple 
of  hundred  years  ago,  do  you  know  what  you  would 
have  done?  You'd  have  gathered  all  your  friends 
together  and  gone  and  got  her  out  of  her  home  and 
carried  her  off  with  you.  .  .  .  That  girl's  put  you 
to  the  test  and  you've  shown  yourself  a  quitter ! 
Not  only  a  quitter  to  her  but  to  me.  Here  I  am  in 
the  darnedest  hole  a  man  ever  found  himself  in, 
needing  all  the  help  I  can  get,  and  you,  my  private 
secretary,  are  the  first  to  want  to  fail  me.  .  .  .  But, 
go  along — I'm  through  with  you — good-by!" 

He  turned  away  and  pressed  a  bell-button,  and, 
while  waiting,  began  opening  some  personal  letters. 
Arturo  entered  and,  having  bowed,  awaited  orders. 
The  Ambassador  looked  up,  glanced  at  Arturo  and 
then  at  me. 

"Well?"  he  said  to  me.  "Something  else  you 
want  to  say?" 

"Yes— alone." 

"Come  back  later,  Arturo." 

Arturo  bowed  and  hesitated.  "Your  pardon, 
Excellency,  but  a  lady  is  waiting  to  see  you." 

"Tell  her  to  wait!"  roared  the  Ambassador. 

"Yes,  your  Excellency;  she  has  waited  one 
hour." 

"Then  she's  used  to  it  by  this  time.  Get  out!" 
Then  to  me:  "Well?" 

I  cleared  my  throat.    "I've  decided  to  stay." 

He  got  up  and  patted  me  on  the  back.  "  Good ! 
I  thought  you  needed  an  eye-opener.  It'll  be  a  good 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  189 

lesson  to  you.  When  everything  looks  like  it  was 
against  you,  make  up  your  mind  that  that's  the 
time  to  begin  your  fight.  There's  my  hand."  I 
took  his  in  both  my  own.  "Now — let's  get  busy. 
The  pouch  is  just  in  from  Washington.  First — 
you  go  out  and  get  rid  of  that  woman.  No  time  for 
females  this  morning." 

The  extraordinary  part,  and  perhaps  the  most 
fortunate,  too,  of  diplomatic  life  is  that  no  matter 
how  much  engrossed  one  may  be  in  one's  own  af 
fairs  there  are  always  so  many  other  people's  af 
fairs  demanding  attention  that  one  doesn't  have 
time  to  bother  with  one's  own.  I  went  out  of  the 
Ambassador's  office  obsessed  with  my  hopes  and 
came  bang  up  against  Miss  Mary  Brown  Baxter 
equally  obsessed  with  hers. 

I  bowed,  shook  hands  cordially,  even  smiled,  and 
received  only  her  customary  disapproving  glance. 
From  her  manner  I'm  sure  she  thinks  every  one 
connected  with  this  Embassy  is  lying  in  wait  to 
assassinate  her. 

"I  want  to  see  the  Ambassador,"  she  stated. 

"Yes,  I  know,"  I  replied  with  real  suavity.  I 
am  acquiring  it.  In  an  embassy  one  either  does  or 
loses  the  little  one  ever  had.  "The  Ambassador 
asked  me  to  see  you." 

She  looked  me  up  and  down  and  then  levelled 
her  eyes  on  mine.  I  had  the  feeling  of  looking 
straight  down  a  double-barrelled  shotgun. 

"I  came  to  see  the  Ambassador.  Subalterns 
won't  do." 


190  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

I  took  this  standing  on  both  feet,  though  I  may 
have  wavered  a  bit.  When  I  felt  sufficiently  steady, 
I  said:  "I  am  sorry  the  Ambassador  can't  see  you. 
He  is  exceedingly  occupied  this  morning.  Couldn't 
you  tell  me  what  it  is  that  you  wish?  I'll  do  my 
best  to — to  accommodate  you." 

Again  I  faced  the  double-barrelled  glare.  After  a 
portentous  silence  she  spoke.  "I  could  not  possibly 
bring  myself  to  tell  you." 

All  sorts  of  vague  ideas  flew  through  my  mind  of 
telling  her  that  I  was  an  old  married  man,  an  ex 
perienced  physician,  anything  that  might  draw  from 
her  the  intimate  reason  of  her  visit.  However,  I 
didn't  attempt  anything  of  the  sort;  my  next  ques 
tion  was  very  meekly  put. 

"Then  you  will  come  back  to-morrow?" 

"Not  at  all.  I'll  remain  to-day — and  until  I  see 
the  Ambassador." 

I  debated.    "It  must  be  quite  important?" 

"It  is  the  most  important  thing  that  has  ever 
come  into  my  life." 

There  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  retreat,  and  I  did, 
to  the  Ambassador's  room. 

"I'm  awfully  sorry,  sir,"  I  explained  when  he 
looked  up  from  a  weighty  official  document,  "but 
I'm  no  good  as  a  buffer.  She  will  see  you.  Time 
doesn't  count.  She's  willing  to  wait  all  day.  It 
concerns  the  most  important  thing  that  has  ever 
come  into  her  life." 

He  put  down  the  document  and  looked  at  me. 

"What  do  you  infer  it  is?" 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  191 

"With  her — the  Lord  only  knows." 

The  Ambassador  pushed  aside  his  letters  with  a 
gesture  of  clearing  the  field  for  action.  "Show  her 
in,"  he  said  abruptly.  "And  don't  you  dare  leave 
this  room  while  she  is  in  it." 

He  met  her  graciously,  shook  hands  with  her, 
asked  her  to  sit  down — all  of  which  she  accepted 
frigidly.  In  the  end  her  glance  settled  on  me. 

"I  wish  to  see  you  alone."  She  spoke  to  the  Am 
bassador,  though  still  trying  to  scare  me  out  of  the 
room  with  her  glance. 

"My  private  secretary  remains  always,"  he  said 
positively.  "He  makes  a  record  of  every  conversa 
tion  that  takes  place  in  this  office." 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  don't;  but  I  was  glad  he 
was  standing  up  to  her. 

"I  wish  no  record  made  of  my  conversation,"  she 
said,  still  adamant.  "It's  purely  personal." 

"Then  all  the  more  reason,  madam,  that  it 
should  be  recorded.  I  learned  in  Washington  never 
to  have  a  conversation  with  a  lady  except  in  the 
presence  of  a  third  party." 

Miss  Mary  Brown  Baxter  rose  to  her  full  height. 
"Do  I  understand  that  you  mean  to  be  insulting?" 

It  was  really  splendid  the  way  he  maintained  a 
patient,  even  pleasant  attitude.  Any  one  else  would 
have  blazed  away  at  her  and  given  her  what  she 
deserved. 

"No.  It  is  never  my  intention  to  insult  a  lady— 
certainly  not  an  American  lady.  I  am  only  trying 
to  be  on  my  job.  Now,  if  your  matter  is  so  per- 


192  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

sonal  that  you  cannot  tell  it  before  my  secretary, 
perhaps  the  Embassy  is  not  the  place  for  it  to  be 
told." 

She  sat  down  again  and  for  the  first  time  lowered 
her  eyes.  It  was  a  plain  case  of  being  bluffed  at  her 
own  game,  and  it  did  my  heart  good.  Up  to  this 
she  had  carried  her  point  every  time;  even  when  she 
had  called  on  the  Ambassador  and  demanded  an 
invitation  to  the  reception,  she  had  won;  but  now 
she  was  facing  her  Waterloo.  Momentarily  freed 
from  her  disturbing  glance,  I  looked  at  her  with 
new  curiosity.  It  is  not  exaggerating  to  say  that  she 
is  the  most  unattractive  woman  I  have  ever  seen. 
She  has  everything  that  a  woman  has  no  business 
having — and  into  the  bargain  a  fully  developed 
grouch.  Goodness  knows,  though,  she  has  a  right 
to  be  at  odds  with  the  world.  Nature  has  not  been 
gentle  with  her.  Viewing  her  there,  I  began  to  feel 
sorry  for  her.  She  must  have  missed  every  soft 
thing  in  life;  and  as  for  love 

The  Ambassador  waited  an  appreciable  time. 
Seeing  her  still  silent,  still  with  downcast  eyes,  he 
grew  impatient. 

"Well,  madam,  what  can  I  do  for  you?" 

She  raised  her  eyes. 

"I  want  to  get  married." 

By  an  extraordinary  display  of  will-power  he 
quelled  an  explosion.  The  effort  left  him  scarlet. 

"Well,  madam,  what  have  I  got  to  do  with  that?" 

She  burst  forth  with  a  long  list  of  difficulties. 
First  of  all  was  the  necessity  of  a  birth  certificate. 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  193 

The  Ambassador  encouraged  her  by  saying  he  did 
not  know  a  single  American  who  had  one. 

"Exactly  what  I  told  them!"  she  cried.  "Be 
sides,  I'm  good  enough  evidence  that  I  was  born!" 

Then  there  was  the  matter  of  calling  out  the  banns 
in  the  church.  It  had  to  be  done  three  times,  on 
three  successive  Sundays.  That  took  three  weeks. 
It  was  so  embarrassing,  too,  having  it  published 
that  way;  everybody  would  know  about  it;  and  it 
was  such  a  loss  of  time.  And  then — well,  it  was  all 
a  lot  of  foolishness,  anyhow.  She  had  to  promise  to 
become  a  Roman  Catholic,  too.  Did  the  Ambassador 
think  this  really  necessary?  Couldn't  he  let  her  be 
married  in  the  Embassy,  and  in  real  American  fash 
ion,  and  thus  avoid  all  the  silly  laws  of  this  coun 
try? 

"The  first  visit  I  made  to  this  Embassy  they 
told  me  that  this  was  American  soil  and  that  any 
thing  that  happened  here  was  native  American." 

The  Ambassador  listened,  growing  more  and  more 
bewildered,  as  Miss  Baxter,  once  more  her  militant 
self,  hurled  her  hymeneal  difficulties  at  him.  When 
she  stopped  for  breath  he  stepped  in. 

"Ask  Mr.  Dalton  to  come  here,"  he  said  to  me. 

I  told  Dalton  of  the  problem  to  be  faced,  and  be 
fore  leaving  his  room  he  armed  himself  with  several 
huge  volumes  bound  in  calf.  His  greeting  of  Miss 
Baxter  and  hers  of  him  were  extraordinarily  cordial 
— almost  effusive.  She  has  evidently  not  forgotten 
the  first  interview  and  Dalton's  soothing  influence. 

The  Ambassador  stated  Miss  Baxter's  case  in  an 


194  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

amazingly  succinct  way,  considering  all  he  had  heard, 
and  asked  Dalton  what  could  be  done  about  it. 

"The  law  will  have  to  be  observed  very  strictly  if 
you  wish  the  marriage  to  be  legal," — Dalton  spoke 
with  authority.  "In  regard  to  your  birth  certifi 
cate,  the  Ambassador  will  have  to  give  you  a  nulla 
osta." 

"What's  that?"  Miss  Baxter  demanded,  at  once 
suspicious. 

"It  is  a  document  which  sets  forth  the  fact  that 
in  the  United  States  birth  certificates  are  not 
necessary  to  obtain  a  marriage  license — and  a  few 
other  evasive  things  which  appear  to  satisfy  the  de 
mands  of  the  authorities  here." 

Miss  Baxter  took  a  more  militant  attitude.  "I 
don't  want  anything  evasive  about  my  marriage, 
I'll  give  you  to  understand." 

In  the  end  she  appeared  reassured,  and  was  on 
the  point  of  leaving  when  she  turned  suddenly  to 
the  Ambassador.  "So  I  can  be  married  here?" 

This  caught  him  unprepared,  though  he  was  quick 
to  find  an  intrenchment. 

"Do  I  understand,  madam,  that  you  are  marry 
ing  an  American?" 

She  drew  up  proudly.  "Indeed  I'm  not!  I  am 
marrying  the  Baron  Claude  de  Xavier,  one  of  the 
most  distinguished  gentlemen  in  this  country.  He 
has  six  castles — all  his  own!" 

"Land-poor!"  commented  the  Ambassador. 

Miss  Baxter  came  nearer.  I'm  sure  her  fists 
clinched.  "Why  do  you  say  that?" 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  195 

"Most  of  these  counts  and  barons  and  dukes 
are."  He  turned  abruptly  to  her.  "Known  him 
long?" 

She  appeared  both  flattered  and  surprised  by  his 
interest.  Dalton  and  I  wondered  at  his  having  the 
patience  to  go  into  the  more  personal  side  of  the 
question.  Yet,  from  the  way  he  was  looking  at  her, 
it  was  obvious  that  he  had  decided  to  take  some  part 
in  the  matter. 

"I've  only  known  him  three  months.  He  is  pass 
ing  the  winter  in  the  same  pension  with  me."  This 
she  appeared  to  consider  might  belittle  him,  so  she 
hastened  to  add:  "He  prefers  it  to  a  hotel.  It  is 
so  much  more  quiet  and  refined.  He  says  hotels, 
crowded  with  vulgar  tourists,  are  too  trying  on  his 
nerves." 

The  Ambassador  listened,  for  all  the  world  as 
though  his  sympathies  were  in  the  case. 

"H-m-m,"  he  reflected.  "So  you  are  another  one 
of  those  American  women  who  want  to  give  up  their 
citizenship." 

"Not  at  all.    I  shall  always  be  an  American." 

"Not  if  you  marry  a  foreigner.  You  become  of 
his  nationality;  you  no  longer  are  American  and  you 
can  no  longer  demand  any  help  from  the  American 
Embassy." 

This  appeared  to  surprise  her  greatly.  "I  never 
heard  of  such  a  thing !  If  you  married  a  French 
woman  you  wouldn't  be  a  Frenchman,  would  you?" 
Her  reasoning,  in  spite  of  her  appearance  and  man 
ner,  was  entirely  feminine. 


ig6  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

"Of  course  not.  But,  you  see,  being  a  woman, 
your  position  is  dependent  on  the  man  you  marry." 

"I've  never  been  dependent  on  any  one  in  my  life; 
and  just  because  I'm  getting  married  isn't  going  to 
change  me  that  way." 

"Still,  you  will  no  longer  be  an  American." 

She  gathered  her  forces.  "I'll  show  you  about 
that.  Besides — I  don't  see  that  you  are  helping  me 
to  get  married,  anyhow." 

The  Ambassador  showed  the  first  signs  of  growing 
a  little  weary.  "I'll  give  you  the—  He  stopped 
and  turned  to  Dalton.  "What  do  you  call  it?" 

"Nulla  osta." 

"I'll  give  you  the  nulla  osta,  madam,  but  only 
on  one  condition." 

"Name  it." 

"That  you  bring  the  Baron  What's-his-name 
here  to  see  me.  As  long  as  you  remain  an  American 
citizen  it  is  my  duty  to  protect  you.  He  has  got  to 
prove  to  me  that  he  is  all  he  says  he  is ! " 

She  smiled  patronizingly.  "There's  nothing  easier 
than  that.  I'll  bring  him  this  afternoon." 

"Very  good,  madam.  And  now — will  you  excuse 
me."  The  Ambassador  extended  his  hand  and  used 
it  as  a  lever  to  get  her  to  the  door. 

When  we  were  alone  Dalton  gathered  up  his 
volumes  bound  in  calf. 

"May  I  ask,  sir,"  he  said,  "what  you  intend  to 
say  to  the  gentleman  when  he  comes?" 

The  Ambassador  was  at  his  desk  again,  leaning 
over  it  in  deep  thought. 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  197 

"Haven't  you  always  heard,  Dalton,  that  women 
could  twist  men  around  their  fingers  just  as  much  as 
they  pleased?  Well — it's  an  historical  lie.  It's 
exactly  the  other  way.  Let  a  man  tell  a  woman 
he  loves  her,  and  he  might  as  well  tie  a  thick  bandage 
over  her  eyes  and  around  her  mind.  She'll  believe 
anything  under  the  sun  he  tells  her  after  that. 
This  woman  is  a  shining  example  of  what  you  can 
do  with  them.  Six  castles,  and  living  in  a  pension ! 
It's  all  stuff.  I  suppose  he  has  found  out  she  gets  a 
check  from  home  once  a  month.  That's  what  he's 
after.  What  shall  I  say  to  him?  I  shan't  have  to 
say  anything.  Ten  to  one  she'll  never  get  him  to 
come  here." 

A  week  has  now  passed  since  her  visit;  she  has 
never  returned. 

Kate  is  still  in  Paris.  I  did  not  see  her  before  she 
left.  She  expects  to  return,  so  the  Ambassador  tells 
me,  in  about  a  week.  In  the  meantime  we  have  had 
our  George  Washington's  birthday.  It  almost 
brought  on  a  row  between  the  Ambassador  and  Mrs. 
Colborne.  Just  before  the  reception  he  was  looking 
about  the  rooms;  he  stopped  in  the  hall  where  the 
guests  were  to  be  received  and  glanced  up  at  the 
flag  draped  over  the  door.  Suddenly,  in  a  loud  voice, 
he  called  Arturo.  " Where's  that  bust  of  George 
Washington?  I  told  you  to  place  it  right  there, 
facing  the  guests,  so  they  can  see  it  when  they  come 
in." 

Arturo  bowed,  all  apologies.     "I'm  sorry,  your 


198  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

Excellency,  but  her  Excellency  told  me  she  thought 
the  flag  was  enough — without  Mr.  Washington." 

The  Ambassador  looked  him  up  and  down.  Ar- 
turo's  bows  reached  quite  to  the  ground. 

"Well — it  isn't.    Bring  the  bust, at  once." 

All  of  which  goes  to  prove  that  Mrs.  Colborne, 
particularly  in  matters  of  national  spirit,  is  not  om 
nipotent. 

The  reception,  a  sort  of  enlarged  tea-party,  went 
off  with  great  success — a  real  orgy  in  red,  white,  and 
blue.  The  chic  orchestra  of  the  town  played  what 
they  considered  our  national  anthems — "The  High 
School  Cadets,"  "The  Washington  Post,"  and  "Wait 
ing  for  the  Robert  E.  Lee" — all  in  perfect  waltz  time. 
On  the  tea-table — a  glorified  lunch-counter — were 
piles  of  national  food:  Lady  Baltimore  cake,  ham 
sandwiches,  champagne  punch,  and — yes,  really— 
grape  juice.  The  Ambassador  would  have  had 
griddle-cakes  if  we  had  not  protested.  And  the 
guests? — Americans  only.  A  personally  conducted 
tour  swept  through  the  rooms  commenting  loudly 
on  everything;  a  large  "finishing  school  for  young 
ladies"  giggled  in  corners  and  made  havoc  with  the 
refreshments;  one  lady  came  without  her  hat;  as 
she  explained  to  Mrs.  Colborne:  "It  made  it  so  much 
more  informal."  Mrs.  Colborne's  face  was  an  in 
teresting  study  as  she  received  these  guests  and 
listened  to  their  elaborate  greetings.  Why  is  it 
that  so  many  provincial  Americans  seem  to  feel 
that  to  be  really  polite  one  must  make  an  extraor 
dinary  number  of  grimaces  when  speaking  ?  And  the 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  199 

Ambassador !  I  had  never  seen  him  so  happy  before. 
He  reminded  me  of  a  great  Saint  Bernard  who  had 
made  a  successful  trip  across  snow-covered  passes 
and  had  brought  back  to  his  hospice  all  the  foot-sore 
and  soul-weary  travellers.  His  laugh  resounded 
above  the  Sousa  "waltzes";  he  "jollied"  every  one, 
male  or  female;  he  told  his  pet  story  of  the  barbed- 
wire-fence  factory  a  hundred  times;  and  ended  the 
afternoon  in  such  glorious  hilarity  that  we  suspected 
the  champagne  punch. 

Jolly,  hearty,  fine  old  fellow !  I  hope  he  is  the 
vrai  type  americain.  We  couldn't  have  a  better 
one.  And  if  he  can  only  come  out  on  top !  The 
time  is  creeping  up,  entirely  too  fast,  when  he  will 
be  put  to  his  test;  but  I  know  that  he  will  not  be  the 
quitter  I  came  so  near  to  being. 


XIV 

March  15,  19 — . 

A  FEW  days  ago  we  received  from  the  Palace  an 
ominous  black-bordered  envelope  informing  us  that 
his  Majesty's  aunt's  second  cousin  had  died  and 
that  the  Court  would  mourn  for  ten  days.  This 
doesn't  mean  exactly  sackcloth  and  ashes,  but  it 
does  mean  that  no  one  entertains  for  the  next  fort 
night  and  that  not  only  the  Court  but  the  whole 
diplomatic  corps  must  wear  mourning  during  the 
period.  Dalton  and  Atkins,  veteran  diplomats, 
were  already  possessed  of  a  complete  outfit  and 
immediately  appeared  in  crepe-swathed  hats,  bands 
on  their  sleeves,  and  black  suits.  Neither  the  Am 
bassador  nor  I  had  a  black  garment,  except  dress 
clothes,  so  we  are  both  now  in  "hand-me-downs" 
more  mournful  as  to  fit  than  as  to  coloring.  Mrs. 
Colborne  has  put  the  immediately  bereaved  family 
to  shame.  I  have  never  seen  such  a  magnificent  use 
of  crepe  as  she  has  appropriated  to  herself.  Her 
veil,  besides  being  voluminous,  is  immensely  be 
coming.  The  Ambassador  told  her  he  would  post 
pone  his  demise  if  she  were  going  to  be  such  a  fetch 
ing  widow. 

Kate  returned  yesterday.  We  went  to  the  sta 
tion  to  meet  her,  which  turned  out  to  be  a  miserable 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  2OI 

mistake.  She  has  been  ill  and  looks  wretched. 
She  greeted  us  with  an  effort,  smiled  in  a  way  that 
hurt  me  to  the  quick,  then  clung  to  her  father  and 
searched  his  face  for  some  clew  to  present  condi 
tions. 

Dalton  and  I  had  intended  to  drive  back  with 
them.  We  saw,  however,  that  we  were  not  wanted 
and  decided  to  walk.  Poor  old  Dalton !  He  was  as 
dejected  as  I. 

"It  will  kill  her,"  he  said  after  we  had  walked  a 
long  way  in  silence. 

"What?"  I  asked. 

"If  her  father  is  ruined." 

"She  has  talked  to  you  about  it!"  I  exclaimed, 
stung  with  jealousy  and  with  the  fear  that  she  had 
thrown  me  over  for  him. 

"Yes,"  he  went  on,  calm  enough.  "A  few  days 
before  she  left  she  asked  me  what  I  thought  of  the 
situation." 

" What  did  you  tell  her?" 

"The  truth.  She  is  not  the  sort  of  girl  one  need 
hide  it  from.  It  was  her  right  to  know.  She  asked 
me  if  her  father's  salvation  rested  absolutely  in 
Comte  de  Stanlau's  hands.  I  told  her  it  did.  Noth 
ing  else  under  the  sun  can  save  him  if  " — Dalton 
gave  a  swift  look  about  us — "he  has  the  cable." 

"Yes— but  it  is  if." 

"No.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  there  is  no  if.  He 
has  it." 

I  started.    "You  know  that?" 

"I  practically  do.     I  told  the  Ambassador  this 


202  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

morning  that  there  appeared  only  one  thing  left  to 
do:  thrash  out  the  whole  thing  with  Stanlau  and 
pay  him  his  price." 

"What  did  he  say?" 

"He  wrote  to  him  and  asked  him  to  come  to  the 
Embassy  this  afternoon  at  four  o'clock." 

I  stopped  short  and  faced  Dalton. 

"Good  God!  Do  you  mean  we  shall  know  to 
night  whether  the  Ambassador  is  saved  or  not?" 

"That  is  exactly  what  I  mean." 

And  now — I  hardly  know  how  to  tell  it.  The  end 
of  everything  has  come  for  me.  If  I  had  only  gone 
home  two  weeks  ago,  when  I  first  thought  of  it,  it 
might  have  been  easier  to  bear.  At  least  I  should  not 
have  had  the  details  of  a  scene  before  me  which  will 
always  be  just  there  confronting  me,  biting  its  way 
into  my  memory  like  a  corroding  acid.  I  might  have 
known  it;  indeed,  I  still  have  balance  enough  left 
to  see  that  it  is  quite  a  natural  result.  Still,  it 
hurts  more  than  anything  that  has  yet  come  into 
my  life — more,  much  more,  than  Kate's  note  to  me 
— and  that  was  bad  enough. 

I  went  into  the  Ambassador's  room  just  before 
luncheon  and  found  him  sitting  at  his  desk  in  deep 
thought.  His  strong,  broad  hands  were  clasped 
before  him  and  resting  on  the  large  sheet  of  blue 
blotting-paper  which  Arturo  places  there  fresh 
every  morning.  He  looked  at  me  without  saying  a 
word.  I  sat  down  at  the  side  of  his  desk  in  the 
chair  always  occupied  by  visitors  on  official  business. 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  203 

After  a  long  silence  he  spoke.  "Did  Dal  ton  tell 
you?" 

"You  mean  about  Stanlau?    Yes,  sir." 

He  unclasped  his  hands  and  gripped  the  arms  of 
the  chair.  "I'm  no  good  as  an  old-fashioned  diplo 
mat,"  he  said  slowly,  more  as  if  talking  to  himself 
than  to  me.  "I'm  used  to  handling  things  straight 
from  the  shoulder.  All  this  intrigue  business  bores 
me  to  death.  I  suppose  it  had  its  day;  but  damn  if 
I  can  see  the  use  of  it  now !  And  yet" — his  hands 
slapped  the  arms  of  the  chair — "that  fellow  Stanlau 
doesn't  seem  to  know  any  other  way.  He  knows 
what  I'm  up  to;  and  I  think  I  know  what  he's  up 
to.  Beyond  that — we  diverge.  But  things  have 
got  to  come  to  a  head.  Parliament  meets  in  a  month, 
called  by  the  King  for  a  special  session  to  vote  on 
our  question.  We've  talked  that  threadbare,  so 
there's  no  use  wasting  words  over  it  again.  The 
fact  still  remains  that,  with  the  King,  the  Prime 
Minister,  and  the  Conservatives  all  in  favor  of  us, 
that  infernal  left  wing  of  the  Socialists,  headed  by 
our  friend  Stanlau,  is  not  only  against  us  but  holds 
the  deciding  vote.  I've  done  my  best  to  find  out 
how  to  handle  Stanlau — and  I've  failed.  He  ap 
pears  to  be  playing  a  strong  game  for  his  party. 
They  are  back  of  him  to  a  man;  and  nobody  seems 
to  be  able  to  suggest  how  to  checkmate  him.  Of 
course,  he  has  a  price;  but  damn  if  I  can  find  out 
what  it  is!" 

He  stopped,  ran  his  hand  through  his  hair,  and 
stood  up. 


204  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

"Well,  sir,"  I  said,  "what  have  you  decided  on?" 

He  took  a  step  nearer  me  and  dropped  his  clinched 
fist  on  the  desk.  "I'm  going  to  do  this:  I'm  going 
to  lay  the  whole  thing  before  him,  every  card  face 
up,  and  then  ask  him  how  much  he  considers  his 
opposition  worth."  He  stopped  a  moment  and 
breathed  deeply.  "Thank  God — I've  got  enough 
money  to  tempt  him;  and  I'm  ready  to  pay  over 
every  cent  I  possess !" 

"Of  course  you  are  counting  on  his  having  the 
cable?" 

"Naturally.    Otherwise— 

"But  how  will  you  know?" 

"I'm  going  to  ask  him." 

"Still,"  I  debated,  "can  you  believe  what  he 
will  tell  you?" 

He  smiled  confidently.  "I've  never  yet  put  a 
direct  question  to  a  man  and  failed  to  know  if  his 
answer  was  the  truth  or  a  lie." 

"If  he  teUs  you  he  has  it?" 

His  face  grew  suddenly  hard  and  very  old.  "If 
he  has  that  cable  my  Government  must  know  it  at 
once.  And  then — I'll  probably  be  relieved  of  my 
job  in  a  few  days." 

"You  will  go  home  at  once?" 

He  looked  at  me  steadily  through  a  long,  painful 
minute. 

"Not  at  once — no."  He  sat  down  in  his  chair 
and,  with  a  visible  effort,  changed  the  subject. 
"Now — to  business.  I'm  going  to  receive  Stanlau 
in  the  library.  There's  a  door  with  a  curtain  over 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  205 

it  that  leads  into  my  smoking-room;  you  know 
it?" 

I  nodded. 

"  Good  !  I  want  you  to  put  a  chair  back  of  that 
curtain,  sit  there  through  the  interview,  and  make 
notes  of  everything  that  is  said;  not  in  your  head, 
mind  you,  but  on  paper.  It's  going  to  be  too  im 
portant  for  any  part  of  it  to  be  forgotten.  Be  here  a 
little  before  four;  he's  coming  at  that  time.  That's 
all." 

I  got  up  and  held  out  my  hand. 

"Mr.  Ambassador — you  know  how  much  I  want 
you  to  win!" 

"Of  course  I  do,  my  boy,  and  I  thank  you  for  it. 
We'll  come  out  on  top  yet !" 

And  in  a  way  he  has  won;  if  he  will  accept  the 
situation  as  it  now  confronts  him.  But  for  me  it  is 
dire,  dismal  failure ! 

I  arrived  a  little  before  four  and  arranged  my  seat 
behind  the  curtain.  The  Ambassador  was  already 
in  the  library,  walking  up  and  down,  with  his  hands 
clasped  behind  him.  He  had  hardly  anything  to 
say.  In  a  few  minutes  Comte  de  Stanlau  was  an 
nounced.  I  took  my  seat  behind  the  curtain. 

The  Ambassador  welcomed  Stanlau  cordially  and 
offered  him  a  cigar,  which  he  refused,  lighting  a  cig 
arette  of  his  own;  then  they  sat  down,  Stanlau 
comfortably  on  a  sofa,  the  Ambassador  facing  him 
in  a  straight  chair. 

"I'm  glad  you  could  come  this  afternoon.    Saves 


206  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

heaps  of  time  when  you  can  get  a  fellow  the  day 
you  want  him."  The  Ambassador  cut  the  end  of 
an  unusually  long  cigar  and  reached  for  a  match. 
Stanlau  was  quick  to  light  one  for  him  and,  rising, 
held  it  to  his  cigar.  "  Thank  you."  The  Ambassador 
blew  a  thick  cloud  of  smoke  between  them.  "Now 
— we  can  talk!" 

Stanlau  resumed  his  seat  on  the  sofa.  "Yes,  your 
Excellency." 

The  Ambassador  drew  again  at  his  cigar.  "If 
you  don't  mind,  would  you  just  as  soon  drop  that 
Excellency  business?  It  bothers  me.  I  want  to 
talk  to  you  man  to  man.  You're  Stanlau — I'm 
Colborne." 

"That  is  agreeable  to  me;  indeed,  I  am  much 
flattered." 

"Well.  Now—  The  Ambassador  got  up.  Stan 
lau  promptly  did  the  same.  "No — no.  You  sit 
where  you  are.  I've  got  to  be  on  my  feet  when  I 
talk.  Got  the  habit  in  the  Senate." 

Again  Stanlau  sat  down.  The  Ambassador  stood 
immediately  in  front  of  him,  and  with  hands  deep 
in  his  pockets  looked  him  squarely  in  the  eyes. 

"You  know,  Stanlau,  that  a  special  session  of 
Parliament  has  been  called  for  next  month.  You 
also  know  that  the  Prime  Minister  will  place  before 
it  a  bill  in  which  my  Government  is  deeply  inter 
ested.  For  the  act  resulting  from  the  passage  of 
this  bill  we  have  offered  to  pay  your  country  an 
enormous  price.  We  have  also  stated  that  we  are 
prepared  to  make  important  tariff  concessions. 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  207 

All  this  I  have  put  very  concisely  before  the  Prime 
Minister  and  the  Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs. 
Both  of  them  inform  me  that  the  Conservatives  are 
in  favor  of  the  bill  as  it  provides  them  with  a  means 
of  paying  off  the  national  debt.  The  King  is  for  it 
because  it  will  give  him  funds  to  carry  on  his  hobby 
— armament.  In  spite  of  this,  I  am  given  to  under 
stand  that  the  bill  will  not  pass  Parliament — due 
to  the  controlling  vote  of  the  Socialist  party,  with 
you  at  its  head." 

Stanlau  waited  until  he  saw  that  the  Ambassador 
had  finished,  then  lighted  another  cigarette.  He 
settled  back  on  the  sofa,  crossed  his  legs,  and  to 
all  appearances  intended  to  make  no  comment  on 
what  had  been  said. 

The  Ambassador  stood  the  silence  as  long  as  he 
could,  then  broke  out:  "Well,  Stanlau,  I've  asked 
you  to  come  here  to  discuss  the  matter  with  me." 

"Yes,"  said  Stanlau,  entirely  non-committal. 

"With  your  opposition,  I  am  told,  I  shall  be  un 
successful."  This  was  followed  by  a  slight  pause. 
"If  your  opposition  is  withdrawn  I  shall  win.  What 
I  want  to  know  is  this:  What  will  persuade  you  to 
take  sides  with  me?" 

Stanlau  still  maintained  his  composed  attitude. 
During  the  silence  that  followed  the  Ambassador 
sat  down,  though  not  for  a  second  taking  his  eyes 
from  Stanlau's.  The  room  grew  so  quiet  that  I 
could  hear  my  watch  ticking. 

"If  I  withdrew  my  opposition,"  Stanlau  at  last 
began,  his  voice  very  low  and  each  word  spoken  as 


208  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

if  it  were  first  carefully  considered,  "I  should  be 
forfeiting  the  confidence  of  my  followers.  That  is 
very  dear  to  me,  for  my  followers  are  the  real  people 
of  this  country,  and  they,  as  I,  look  upon  this  bill, 
in  which  you  are  so  interested,  as  something  that 
will  be  a  lessening  of  their  national  honor.  If  I 
favored  it  I  should  probably  have  to  leave  here 
forever;  it  would  mean  a  virtual  exile.  I  should  be 
called  a  traitor  to  my  party;  I  should  be  detested 
and  cursed!"  He  stopped  with  an  expressive  ges 
ture,  then  continued,  even  more  reflectively:  "Be 
sides — now  that  other  governments  know— 

The  Ambassador  sprang  up  from  his  chair.  His 
face  was  scarlet;  his  hands  were  clinched  in  a  vain 
attempt  to  control  himself. 

"  So  you  have  the  cable !  That's  what  I  wanted 
to  know ! " 

Stanlau  smiled.     "What  cable?" 

"Don't  try  to  beat  about  the  bush!  You  would 
never  have  known  about  any  other  government  if 
you  hadn't  seen  it!" 

For  a  few  seconds  Stanlau  drew  at  his  cigarette. 
"Well — even  if  I  admit  having  seen  the  cable— 

"I  wonder  if  you  know  what  you  are  admitting !" 
the  Ambassador  interrupted,  his  voice  loud  and  full 
of  stinging  contempt.  "You  have  pretended  to  be 
my  friend,  you  have  accepted  my  hospitality,  you 
have  broken  bread  with  me  time  and  time  again, 
and  yet  you  set  spies  on  my  house  and  ferret  out 
private  information  which  you  can  use  against  me 
— which — which  may  ruin  me !  And  then,  by  God, 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  209 

you  have  the  nerve  to  come  here  and  admit  it  to 
me!" 

Stanlau  had  risen  at  this  outburst  and  stood 
facing  the  Ambassador,  quietly  waiting  for  him  to 
finish.  "I  admit  having  seen  the  cable,  your  Ex 
cellency."  His  dignity  and  composure  were  per 
fect.  "I  do  not  admit  having  put  spies  here  to  ob 
tain  it.  It  was  given  to  me." 

"By  whom?" 

"That,  unfortunately,  I  am  not  at  liberty  to  say." 

"I  demand  to  know." 

"I  beg  of  you  not  to  insist.    It  can  do  no  good." 

Strangely  enough,  this  appeared  to  calm  the 
Ambassador.  He  turned  away  from  Stanlau  for  the 
first  time  since  the  interview  had  begun  and  walked 
across  the  room.  In  a  minute  he  was  back  again. 

"If  you  give  out  that  information,  Stanlau,  it 
will  cost  your  country  the  enormous  sum  We  are 
offering.  I  suggest  that  you  consider  that." 

Stanlau  smiled.    "Even  if  another  country— 

"No  other  Power  will  do  anything.  They  un 
derstand  our  Monroe  Doctrine  pretty  well  by 
now." 

"Perhaps — though  one  of  them  might  be  willing 
to  go  to  war  over  a  matter  of  such  vital  importance." 

This  appeared  to  amuse  the  Ambassador.  "  We've 
licked  one  big  Power  twice.  We  can  do  it  again." 
Then,  with  a  quick  change  of  voice:  "Look  here, 
Stanlau,  my  offer  is  of  great  advantage  to  your 
country.  You  know  that  as  well  as  I  do.  Your 
party  may  not  see  it  to-day;  but  they  will  in  a  few 


210  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

years.  It  is  a  chance  for  you  to  show  your  fore 
sight." 

Stanlau  appeared  to  consider  this  idea,  and  for  a 
few  minutes  neither  of  them  spoke. 

I  am  recording  this  conversation  just  as  it  took 
place.  As  I  look  back  on  it,  now  that  I  am  in  my 
room,  I  see  so  much  more  clearly  how  each  one  was 
playing  the  other;  and  yet,  at  the  time,  I  would 
have  sworn  that  each  was  sincere. 

"If  it  were  known  that  I  had  possession  of  the 
information  embodied  in  that  cable  and  had  not 
used  it—  Stanlau  left  the  sentence  effectively  un 
finished. 

"No  one  except  my  Government,  you,  and  I  know 
its  contents." 

"Can  we  be  sure  of  that?" 

"We  can — unless  you  have  shown  it." 

"I  have  shown  it  to  no  one." 

"Well?" 

"Well?" 

They  were  both  smiling  at  each  other  now. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do?"  the  Ambassador 
finally  asked. 

Stanlau's  expression  grew  serious.  "It  would  be 
rather  precipitate  of  me  to  pledge  myself  to  you 
before  I  know  what  other  governments  would  do." 

Without  a  word  the  Ambassador  went  to  a  bell 
and  pressed  it.  While  waiting,  he  pulled  out  his 
watch  and  looked  at  it. 

"  It  has  taken  me  a  full  half-hour  to  find  out  what 
I  wanted  to  know — whether  or  not  you  were  in 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  211 

communication  with  any  other  government."  Ar- 
turo,  entering  at  this  moment,  he  turned  to  him. 
"Ask  Mr.  Dalton  to  come  here  at  once." 

For  the  first  time  Stanlau  spoke  quickly.  "Just 
one  moment,  please."  This  was  addressed  to  Ar- 
turo,  who  bowed  and  waited.  Then  to  the  Am 
bassador:  "I  beg  your  pardon,  but  may  I  ask  what 
you  intend  to  do?" 

"Cable  my  Government  at  once." 

"Before  you  do  that,  would  it  not  be  better  to 
hear  what  I  have  to  say?" 

The  Ambassador  nodded  to  Arturo.  "Never 
mind;  I'll  ring  for  you  later." 

Stanlau  walked  to  the  window  and  stood  for  a 
little  while  with  his  back  to  the  Ambassador.  I 
was  beginning  to  feel  that  the  crucial  part  of  the 
interview  was  passed.  Surely  the  important  fact 
was  now  known.  The  Ambassador  had  found  out 
that  Stanlau  had  the  cable  and,  more  important 
still,  that  he  was  in  communication  with  another 
concerning  the  information  contained  in  it.  As 
disconcerting  as  both  discoveries  were,  it  at  least 
made  certain  what  was  before  only  surmise.  Stan- 
lau's  next  word,  however,  put  international  questions 
considerably  in  the  background.  To  me  they  were 
as  if  they  had  never  existed. 

"There  is  something  of  much  more  vital  impor 
tance  to  me,"  Stanlau  said,  "than  this  matter  be 
tween  our  governments."  He  stopped,  permitting 
a  slight  pause  to  give  importance  to  his  words. 
"I  mean  your  daughter.  I  love  her." 


212  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

The  Ambassador  flicked  his  cigar  with  impatience. 
"  That's  changing  the  subject.  Let's  stick  to  busi 
ness." 

"I  beg  your  pardon;  it  is  not  changing  the  sub 
ject.  I  have  the  honor  to  ask  you  for  her  hand." 

Again  the  Ambassador  made  an  impatient  ges 
ture.  "Stanlau — Kate's  just  like  me.  She'd  no 
more  think  of  marrying  any  one  but  an  American 
than  she'd  think  of  jumping  into  the  fire.  She  re 
fused  you  in  Washington;  it  will  be  just  the  same 
here.  I'm  sorry  for  you — but —  He  spread  out 
his  hands  as  if  the  subject  were  settled  once  and  for 
all. 

Stanlau  smiled.  It  was  not  an  altogether  pleas 
ant  smile;  it  was  too  much  the  result  of  assured 
complacency.  His  voice,  too,  though  thoroughly 
polite  and  considerate,  had  in  it  a  quality  too  ex 
pressive  of  certainty  to  be  agreeable. 

"When  a  man  loves,  discouragement  only  feeds 
the  flame."  I  wondered  if  the  Ambassador  remem 
bered  having  expressed  exactly  the  same  sentiment 
to  me  a  few  weeks  before.  "I  have  something  to 
offer  your  daughter  which  is  not  altogether  neg 
ligible.  My  name  is  a  very  old  one;  it  is  known  all 
over  Europe.  Your  daughter,  as  my  wife,  would  be 
received  at  every  Court.  She  would  have  four 
castles " 

The  Ambassador  interrupted  with  a  yawn  so 
frank  and  full  of  ennui  that  it  cut  Stanlau  short 
in  the  enumeration  of  his  attractions  and  left  him 
standing,  flushed  with  indignation. 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  213 

"Stanla*u,  let's  cut  this  out.  None  of  it's  what 
the  right  sort  of  an  American  girl  wants." 

It  was  extraordinary  how  Stanlau  kept  his  bal 
ance.  "No?"  he  said  half -inquiringly.  "What, 
then,  does  she  want?" 

"Good — honest — faithful  love!"  The  Ambassa 
dor  punctuated  each  word  by  letting  his  hand  fall 
on  the  arm  of  his  chair. 

"But — that  goes  without  saying!" 

"Not  on  your  life — not  with  you  Europeans! 
I'd  want  it  put  in  the  marriage  contract.  I've  had 
my  eyes  open  since  I've  been  over  here.  I  don't 
blame  you  so  much  personally  as  I  do  your  laws  and 
your  traditions.  I  suppose  you  can't  know  how  to 
treat  a  woman  if  you've  never  seen  them  given  a 
fair  chance." 

Stanlau  received  this  thoughtfully.  "That  is  the 
usual  American  opinion,  I  know,"  he  answered 
slowly.  "  It  is  quite  wrong.  I  believe  the  European 
wife  is  happier  and  more  of  a  home-maker  than  the 
American.  There  is  no  doubt  that  she  is  much  more 
contented.  You  are  bound  to  admit  that.  And  do 
you  know  why? — it  is  because  we  demand  certain 
things  of  her.  Give  a  woman  too  much  freedom, 
either  of  thought  or  action,  and  she  is  ruined.  Her 
happiness  depends  upon  her  subordination.  The 
normal  woman  wants  her  husband  to  be  her  master." 

The  Ambassador  laughed  with  genuine  amuse 
ment.  "That's  a  good  enough  theory  for  your 
women;  but,  by  George,  I'd  like  you  to  show  me  an 
American  girl  that  would  stand  for  it.  No,  Stan- 


214  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

lau" — seriously — "I've  seen  too  many  nice  girls 
come  over  here,  marry,  and  return  home  after  a  few 
years,  health,  happiness,  money,  everything  gone 
.  .  .  You  see,  I'm  not  like  the  American  we've  all 
heard  about  who  was  so  glad  to  have  his  daughter 
marry  a  titled  foreigner  that  he  consented  to  a 
clause  being  introduced  into  the  marriage  contract 
which  permitted  the  husband  to  keep  a  mistress 
without  it's  being  a  cause  for  divorce." 

"Need  we  discuss  such  improbable  cases?" 

The  Ambassador  pulled  himself  together  and 
stood  up.  "I  don't  think  we  need  discuss  any  part 
of  this  matter  any  longer.  We're  losing  time." 
His  voice  grew  very  much  gentler,  and  he  laid  his 
hand  on  Stanlau's  arm.  "I  don't  blame  you  for 
loving  Kitty;  everybody  does.  God  knows,  she's 
all  the  world  to  me.  But  as  for  my  giving  my  con 
sent  to  her  marrying  any  one  but  an  American— 
never,  sir!" 

Stanlau  drew  back  with  such  a  quick  movement 
that  the  Ambassador's  hand  slipped  abruptly  from 
his  arm. 

"Then,  your  Excellency,"  he  said,  his  voice  for 
the  first  time  showing  emotion,  "I  regret  to  tell  you 
that  your  Government's  wishes  are  doomed  to  fail 
ure." 

The  Ambassador  was  caught  thoroughly  unpre 
pared  for  such  a  statement.  His  first  gesture  was 
an  abrupt,  short  laugh;  then  followed  a  long,  con 
centrated  stare  into  Stanlau's  eyes;  and  finally  an 
ominous  clinching  of  the  fists  and  a  step  nearer. 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  215 

"You  damned  scoundrel!"  he  said  at  last,  with 
heavy,  labored  breathing.  "Have  you  got  the 
cheek  to  stand  there  and  insult  me ! " 

Stanlau  did  not  flinch.  A  deep  flush  was  the  only 
emotional  sign  he  gave.  "I  have  meant  no  insult." 

"You  have  attempted  to  bribe  me!" 

"You  misunderstood  me.  I  love  your  daughter. 
I  am  willing  to  stake  everything  on  winning  her— 
even  if  it  is  necessary  to  betray  my  party.  That 
is  what  love  means  to  men  of  my  country!" 

"And  you  expect  such  a  declaration  to  win 
Kitty's  love!"  The  Ambassador's  words  rang  with 
contempt. 

Stanlau  lowered  his  eyes  and  smiled.  "I  have 
already  won  her  love,  your  Excellency.  She  has 
consented  to  become  my  wife." 

The  Ambassador's  laugh  rang  out  loud  and  clear. 
"My  Kitty — marry  you !  That  would  be  a  joke!" 

"You  have  only  to  ask  her,"  came  the  quiet  re 
sponse. 

Still  laughing,  the  Ambassador  went  to  a  bell 
and  rang  it.  While  waiting,  he  pulled  out  a  hand 
kerchief  and  mopped  his  face,  chuckling  to  himself 
all  the  time. 

"Tell  my  daughter  I  must  see  her  at  once,"  he 
said  when  Arturo  entered.  "Hold  on!  Tell  her 
not  to  keep  me  waiting.  I  want  to  see  her  in- 
stanter." 

Neither  of  them  spoke  another  word  while  they 
waited;  and  it  was  a  long,  miserable,  portentous 
ten  minutes. 


2i6  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

Kate  came  in  very  quietly,  the  black  of  her  Court 
mourning  accentuating  her  pallor.  She  went  straight 
to  her  father  without  seeing  Stanlau.  Laying  her 
hand  on  his  shoulder — he  had  sat  down  by  the 
table — she  looked  at  him  and  smiled. 

"Did  I  keep  you  waiting  very  long?" 

He  reached  for  her  hand,  clasped  it  between  his 
own,  then  held  it  against  his  cheek. 

Suddenly  she  saw  Comte  de  Stanlau  and  started. 
"  I  thought  you  were  alone,  father ! "  She  drew  away 
from  him  and  bowed  to  Stanlau. 

The  Ambassador  still  held  her  hand.  "Kitty — • 
I  sent  for  you  because — "  He  broke  off  and  began 
laughing  again.  "  It's  the  biggest  joke  yet !  Count 
Stanlau  says  you  are  going  to  marry  him!" 

She  looked  at  Stanlau;  he  bowed  in  a  way  which 
signified  that  the  statement  was  correct;  then  her 
eyes  came  back  to  her  father  and  dwelt  on  him  af 
fectionately. 

It  was  an  interminable  time  before  she  spoke. 

"Yes,  father— I  am." 

The  Ambassador  struggled  up  from  his  chair. 
"Stop  joking,  Kate!  I'm  serious!" 

She  met  his  eyes  squarely.  "I  am  serious,  too, 
father." 

Suddenly  he  grasped  her  arm  in  a  tight  hold. 
She  winced  with  pain. 

"What!  You,  my  daughter,  would  marry  a 
foreigner ! " 

She  did  not  reply  at  once.  His  hand  tightened  on 
her  arm. 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  217 

"You  would!    Answer  me!    Why?" 

"Because" — her  words  were  hardly  audible — 
"because  I  love  him." 

The  Ambassador's  free  hand  swung  out  and 
grasped  her  other  arm.  He  turned  her  roughly 
about  so  that  she  was  facing  him;  then  he  drew  her 
closer  to  him  until  their  faces  were  only  a  few  inches 
apart. 

"Look  at  me!" 

She  made  an  effort  to  lift  her  hands  and  rest 
them  against  him,  but  his  hold  of  her  arms  was  too 
tight. 

"Look  at  me,  Kitty — straight  in  the  eyes !"  His 
voice  dropped  to  a  lower  pitch.  When  he  continued, 
it  was  full  of  the  gentleness  of  deep  love.  "You've 
never  lied  to  me  in  your  life.  You  are  not  going  to 
now."  He  paused,  breathing  hard.  "Why  are  you 
marrying  this  man?  You  can't  love  him!" 

Her  eyes  fell.    A  smothered  sob  escaped  her. 

"Father — I'm  sorry— 

"You  are  not  looking  at  me!"  He  lifted  her 
chin  with  his  hand.  "For  God's  sake,  Kitty,  tell 
me  the  truth !"  His  voice  could  not  have  held  out 
much  longer;  it  was  already  breaking.  "Do  you 
love  this  man?" 

She  looked  straight  into  his  eyes  and  answered: 
"Yes." 

The  Ambassador  let  go  her  arms,  drew  out  his 
handkerchief  and  mopped  his  face,  looked  around 
in  a  bewildered  sort  of  way;  then,  quite  suddenly, 
he  sank  down  in  the  chair,  stretched  his  arms  out 


218  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

on  the  table  before  him,  and  bowed  his  head  on 
them. 

"I  don't  understand  it.    I  don't  believe  it." 

Kate  gave  a  quick  signal  to  Stanlau.  He  came  to 
her,  raised  her  hand  to  his  lips,  and  left  the  room 
without  a  word. 

She  waited  until  the  door  was  closed,  then  knelt 
down  beside  her  father  and  laid  her  head  against 
his  knee. 

I  left  them  there,  no  words  spoken  between  them. 
What  is  the  use  of  words  at  such  a  time !  And 
why  should  love  be  called  a  gift  from  God  when  it 
brings  us  only  bitterness ! 


XV 

March  18,  19 — . 

A  nidi  blanche  followed  Kate's  avowal  that  she 
loved  Stanlau.  After  I  had  finished  writing  the 
record  of  the  interview  I  went  out  on  my  little  ter 
race.  As  I  sat  there  in  the  soothing  darkness  the 
larger  street-lamps  went  out  one  by  one;  gradually 
the  trams  stopped  running;  the  sounds  of  the  city 
died  away,  and  I  was  left  alone  in  the  oppressive 
silence.  There  is  something  ominous  in  the  sleep 
of  a  great  city.  I  wondered  how  many  there  were 
about  me  who  were  sitting  through  these  long, 
black  hours  with  eyes  wide  open  and  staring  toward 
the  dismal  day  that  would  eventually  come. 

As  I  sat  there  all  sorts  of  thoughts  surged  through 
my  mind.  The  most  insistent  of  all  was  what  I 
still  think  is  a  true  explanation.  Kate  does  not 
love  Stanlau.  She  is  only  doing  this  to  save  her 
father.  With  the  information  that  I  gave  her  she 
must  have  gone  to  her  stepmother,  forced  the  truth 
about  the  cable  from  her,  and  made  Stanlau  promise 
to  save  her  father  as  the  condition  upon  which  she 
would  marry  him.  As  I  went  back  and  traced  her 
change  of  manner  to  me,  I  grew  more  and  more 
convinced  of  the  certainty  of  my  deductions.  It 
was  almost  immediately  after  I  had  confessed  to 
her  my  suspicions  that  the  change  had  come. 
Each  detail  enforced  this  belief.  And  her  note  to 

219 


220  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

me  was  only  the  culmination  of  her  decision  that  she 
alone  could  save  her  father.  It  seemed  fantastic 
that  she  should  have  taken  it  upon  herself  to  make 
this  sacrifice,  and  yet  every  time  she  had  spoken 
of  her  father,  from  our  very  first  meeting,  each  time 
she  had  talked  to  me  of  him  had  shown  a  depth  of 
affection  which  would  make  such  a  sacrifice  a  sort 
of  compensating  expression  of  her  love. 

One  goes  along  so  placidly  through  life  that  one 
becomes  blunted  to  the  big  sacrifices  that  are  taking 
place  on  all  sides  and  every  day.  Indeed,  one  is — 
and  most  of  all  am  I — inclined  to  scoff  at  such  things 
and  say  they  are  not  done;  that  human  nature  is 
too  practical  these  days;  that  common  sense  and 
reason  lead  one  safely  past  such  precipices.  And 
yet  suddenly  we  are  brought  face  to  face  with  a 
situation,  and  know  then  that  our  scoffing  was  only 
blindness.  The  realization  brings  with  it  a  tremen 
dous  thrill.  It  did  to  me.  I  walked  on  through 
the  night  much  stronger  and  more  deeply  under 
standing  than  I  had  ever  been  before.  What  Kate 
was  willing  to  do  stirred  me  out  of  the  mere  com 
monplace  existence  I  had  been  leading.  I  lifted  my 
head  and  drew  in  the  cool  night  air  with  a  sense 
of  exhilaration.  She  had  shown  me  what  could  be 
done;  she  had  done  more  than  that — she  had  brought 
to  life  in  me  a  determination  to  save  her  which 
nothing  will  now  quell.  I  thought  I  loved  her  be 
fore;  I  worship  her  now. 

The  city  lights,  paling  in  the  dawn,  found  me  on 
the  terrace.  Still  I  did  not  go  in.  The  gradually 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  221 

increasing  distinctness  of  my  surroundings  came 
with  messages  of  hope.  The  rugged  mountains 
looming  invincible  out  of  the  mists  were  full  of  words 
of  strength;  the  soft  pale  pinks  and  grays  of  the  sea 
spoke  calm;  the  tingling  vibrations  of  the  awakening 
city  rose  to  me  with  that  feeling  of  inward  force 
and  life  which  means  vanquished  discouragement. 
The  day  had  come,  and  with  it  strength  and  cour 
age.  .  .  . 

I  went  to  the  Embassy  before  office  hours.  My 
room  adjoins  the  Ambassador's.  The  green  baize 
door  which  separates  our  rooms  was  closed.  I 
opened  it  carefully  and  looked  in.  The  Ambassa 
dor  was  already  at  his  desk,  though  evidently  he 
had  not  yet  begun  the  day's  work.  He  was  sitting 
motionless,  staring  straight  before  him,  the  pile  of 
unopened  mail  lying  unseen  and  untouched.  His 
attitude  was  poignantly  expressive  of  his  thoughts. 
There  is  nothing  more  tragic  than  a  man  sitting 
alone,  silent,  motionless,  brooding  upon  his  sorrows. 

I  closed  the  door  without  his  having  seen  me.  I 
was  not  ready  yet  to  talk  to  him. 

Without  a  moment's  delay  I  sat  down  and  wrote 
Kate  a  note.  I  wasted  no  words  in  argument;  I 
demanded  an  interview  and  told  her  I  would  ac 
cept  no  excuses.  Having  sealed  the  envelope,  I 
rang  for  Arturo  and,  while  waiting  for  him,  turned 
toward  the  window. 

It  is  spring  now:  resplendent,  gorgeous,  sudden 
spring;  so  different  from  the  timid  advances  and 


222 

withdrawals  of  our  spring  at  home.  Here  it  comes 
in  one  night.  Looking  through  the  window  I  saw 
the  garden  en  fete :  lilies,  crocuses,  hyacinths,  bor 
ders  of  fragrant  violets,  flaming  crimson  Judas-tree; 
and  over  all  this  dazzling,  joyous  sun.  In  the  midst 
of  this  beauty  I  caught  sight  of  a  black-robed  figure 
bending  over  and  picking  violets.  It  was  Kate,  with 
the  sun  gleaming  on  her  hair. 

I  went  straight  out  to  her,  holding  the  note  in 
my  hand.  She  saw  me  coming,  rose,  smiled  in  the 
silent  way  I  love  so,  and  gave  me  her  hand.  She 
looked  brighter  than  on  the  day  before;  she  was  not 
so  pale,  and  her  eyes,  though  still  strangely  sad, 
glowed  with  calm  determination. 

"Kate,"  I  said,  "I  have  just  written  you  this 
note.  I  wish  to  speak  with  you.  I  must  do  so  at 
once." 

She  looked  at  me  with  a  quick  change  of  expres 
sion — a  sort  of  sudden  fear  that  made  the  little 
color  fade  from  her  face.  Without  speaking,  she 
led  the  way  to  the  stone  bench  by  the  fountain  and 
sat  down.  Putting  the  violets  in  her  lap,  she  began 
picking  them  up  one  by  one  and  arranging  them  in 
a  bouquet.  Her  attitude  was  one  of  patient  waiting. 

"I  overheard  your  conversation  with  your  father 
yesterday,"  I  burst  out.  "I  mean  when  you  told 
him  you  were  going  to  marry  Comte  de  Stanlau." 
She  flashed  a  look  of  scorn  at  me.  I  hurried  on. 
"It  was  at  your  father's  request.  He  wanted  a 
record  of  his  talk  with  Stanlau.  Your  part  in  it 
was  unexpected." 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  223 

The  explanation  appeared  satisfactory.  She  re 
turned  to  the  violets.  "I  am  glad  that  you  know," 
she  said  after  a  pause.  "I  was  going  to  write  you." 

Suddenly  I  bent  forward  and  took  her  hand 
firmly  in  mine.  "Kate,  this  can't  go  on.  You 
don't  love  him.  I  know  why  you  are  doing  this." 

She  drew  her  hand  away  and  stood  up.  "Do 
you  expect  me  to  let  you  talk  to  me  in  this  way? 
By  what  right— 

"The  right  you  gave  me  when  you  promised  to 
be  my  wife.  The  right  I  have  because  I  told  you 
about  the  cable.  It  is  all  very  plain.  You  know 
your  mother  gave  Stanlau  the  cable,  and  you  are 
sacrificing  yourself  to  save  your  father.  I  am  going 
to  tell  him  everything." 

She  sat  down  quickly  and  let  the  violets  slip  un 
noticed  to  the  ground.  "You  would  not  dare  to 
tell  my  father!" 

"Why  not?" 

"Because —        She  stopped  helplessly. 

"Because  you  know  he  would  not  accept  your 
sacrifice.  That  is  the  reason  I  shall  tell  him.  You 
have  made  him  miserable  enough  already.  Do  you 
think,  when  he  found  out  that  you  do  not  love 
Stanlau — and  he  is  bound  to  find  it  out  sooner  or 
later — that  he  could  bear  it?  That  would  be 
worse  to  him  than  any  disgrace!" 

She  met  my  eyes  as  steadily  as  she  had  met  her 
father's  the  day  before;  she  even  went  further- 
she  smiled.  "You  are  wofully  mistaken.  I  do  love 
Comte  de  Stanlau." 


224  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

"Oh,  Kate! — why  say  such  a  thing  to  me?" 
She  looked  away  and  was  silent  a  little  while  as 
if  choosing  carefully  the  words  that  followed:  "You 
must  listen  to  me;  and  you  must  try  to  understand." 
She  stopped.  I  saw  her  hands  clasp  together  with 
the  effort  at  continuing.  "I  thought  I  loved  you 
when  I  promised  to  marry  you.  We  were  both  like 
children  together,  weren't  we  ?  Everything  was  gay 
and  light  and  care  free.  We  had  both  come  into 
this  life  at  the  same  time.  It  was  to  us  both  a  sort 
of  joke,  full  of  amusement  and  interest,  heaps  of  fun 
— only  that,  until  my  father's  honor  was  at  stake — 
Then,  quite  suddenly,  it  all  became  desperately 
serious  ...  I  knew  that  my  father  was  much 
more  involved  than  he  admitted.  I  love  him  too 
much  for  him  to  hide  anything  from  me  .  .  .  Then 
you  told  me  of  your  suspicions.  I  went  to  my  step 
mother  and  demanded  to  know  the  truth.  She 
laughed  at  the  serious  way  in  which  I  took  it  ... 
When  I  talked  to  Comte  de  Stanlau  about  it  he 
told  me  that  it  had  never  been  his  intention  to  ruin 
my  father;  but  that  if  he  did  not  use  the  informa 
tion  contained  in  that  cable  it  would  mean  that  he 
would  be  a  traitor  to  the  people  who  were  trusting 
him — not  only  to  them  but  to  his  country.  Then  he 
told  me" — her  voice  grew  very  low  and  less  steady — 
"that  he  would  be  willing  to  do  that  through  his 
love  for  me.  It  would  mean  his  having  to  leave 
his  country  forever;  but  he  was  willing  to  do  this, 
and  much  more,  if  it  would  save  my  father  and 
make  me  happy."  Her  voice  died  away  to  a  whisper. 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  225 

"And  you  believe  him?" 

"  I  must.     Why  shouldn't  I  ?  " 

"And  you  will  marry  him  for  that  reason  alone?" 

"No — not  for  that  reason  alone." 

Her  calm  answer  to  my  questions  made  me  feel 
that  I  was  losing  ground.  This  feeling  brought 
exasperation. 

"You  mean  to  insist  that  you  love  him?" 

Quite  unexpectedly,  and  with  a  sudden  flare  of 
excitement,  she  turned  and  faced  me.  "Why 
should  I  not  love  him!  Has  he  not  shown  himself 
worthy  of  any  woman's  love !  What  better  proof 
could  I  have  of  it ! "  Her  voice  rose  to  a  nervous, 
trembling  pitch  and  suddenly  broke.  "I  can't 
talk  to  you  any  more  now,"  she  began,  again  calm. 
"But  you  must  understand  now;  forgive  me  if  you 
can,  for  I  must  seem  heartless  and  capricious;  and 
surely" — this  with  an  anxious  look  of  inquiry — "you 
see  how  wrong  it  would  be  to  tell  my  father?" 

I  shook  my  head.    "I  don't  believe  you." 

She  held  out  her  hands  with  a  gesture  of  helpless 
ness.  "Then — there  is  nothing  more  for  us  to  say. 
If  you  insist  upon  telling  my  father  you  will  only 
break  his  faith  in  his  wife,  you  will  add  shame  to  his 
sorrow  at  losing  me,  you  will  make  him  suspect 
Comte  de  Stanlau,  you  will  make  me  very  unhappy, 
and  what  will  you  gain  ?  Nothing  now  can  prevent 
me  from  marrying  the  man  I  love — nothing — noth- 
ing!" 

She  rose  and  looked  toward  the  house.  Seeing 
her  father  at  the  window,  she  struggled  with  a  smile 


226  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

and  waved  her  hand.    Then  she  turned  back  to  me 
and  looked  at  me  through  a  short  silence. 

"Do  you  believe  me  now?" 

I  shook  my  head. 

"Is  it  because  you  don't  want  to  believe  me?" 

I  did  not  answer. 

"Forgive  me  for  hurting  you  !"  She  came  nearer 
and  held  out  her  hand.  There  were  tears  in  her 
voice,  and  I  thought  I  saw  them  shining  in  her  eyes. 
"I  never  thought  you  would  take  it  this  way." 

"Why  not?"  I  questioned  hotly. 

"Because — because — it  seems  such  a  long  time 
ago  when  we  were  both  children."  She  stopped  and 
let  the  extended  hands  which  I  had  refused  fall  to 
her  side.  "  I  need  your  help  now.  I  need  your  con 
fidence,  too.  Please — please  don't  fail  me!" 

I  dropped  my  head  in  my  hands.  The  whole 
wretched  affair  grew  every  moment  harder  to  bear. 

"Kate — Kate!"  I  cried,  miserable  in  the  battle 
between  doubt  and  belief  of  her.  "What  do  you 
want  me  to  do?" 

"Only  say  nothing — and  save  every  one's  happi 
ness  !  .  .  ." 

"And  my  happiness!  What  of  that?"  I  cried; 
but  she  had  gone. 

When  I  got  back  to  my  office  the  Ambassador 
wras  there  impatiently  waiting  for  me. 

"I  saw  you  talking  to  Kate,"  he  burst  out  before 
I  had  closed  the  door.    "Were  you  talking  about "- 
he  stopped  and  looked  at  me  closely — "about  yester 
day?" 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  227 


"Yes,  sir;  we  were." 
"What  did  she  say?: 


"The  same  thing." 

"That  she  is  marrying  that  scoundrel  because  she 
loves  him?" 

I  nodded. 

"I  won't  believe  it;  I  won't."  He  bit  viciously 
at  his  cigar  and  threw  it  away.  Then  he  began  walk 
ing  up  and  down  the  room.  "Do  you  believe  it?" 
he  suddenly  threw  at  me. 

I  did  not  know  how  to  answer  him;  I  don't  know 
what  I  think.  Her  arguments  have  thrown  me  quite 
out  of  balance.  She  was  so  reasonable  in  all  her 
statements  that  I  cannot  dismiss  them  from  my 
thoughts.  If  Stanlau  were  a  different  sort,  it  would 
be  easy  enough  to  believe  that  she  was  marrying 
him  solely  to  save  her  father.  But  he  is  attractive, 
clever,  and  has  a  good  deal  of  charm.  Any  one  who 
has  seen  him  as  I  have  is  bound  to  admit  it.  Why 
should  he  not  attract  Kate  as  he  does  every  other 
woman?  I  expressed  something  of  this  to  the 
Ambassador  and  was  met  with  impatient  con 
tempt. 

"You  don't  know  what  you  are  talking  about! 
You  don't  know  her !  I'm  not  fool  enough  to  pre 
tend  I  understand  women;  but  I  do  think  I  under 
stand  my  daughter.  I've  brought  her  up  myself. 
I've  had  my  eyes  on  her  all  the  time — even  when 
she  was  off  at  school.  I've  taught  her  myself — lots 
of  things;  I've  made  her  read  with  me;  I've  dis 
cussed  everything  with  her.  And  I  know  how  she 


228  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

thinks."  He  kicked  a  chair  out  of  his  way  so  as  to 
walk  more  freely.  "This  isn't  like  her.  There's 
something  else  back  of  it.  And,  by  God"— he 
stopped  and  pounded  on  my  desk — "I'm  going  to 
get  it  out  of  her!" 

He  resumed  his  thundering  promenade.  I  leaned 
against  the  desk,  wondering  if  he  could  be  right. 

"Then  you  don't  think  she  loves  him?"  I  sug 
gested  after  a  long  pause. 

He  stopped  and  scowled  at  me.  "Damnation!" 
he  cried.  "Don't  talk  piffle!"  And  with  another 
contemptuous  glance  at  me  he  went  out  of  the  room 
and  slammed  the  door. 

The  rest  of  the  morning  was  fairly  busy,  fortu 
nately  for  us  all.  A  number  of  people  called  to  see 
the  Ambassador;  in  fact,  there  is  a  constant  stream 
of  people  at  the  Embassy  every  day.  There  is  a 
prevalent  belief  at  home  that  an  embassy  has  very 
little  work  to  do.  I  thought  so,  too,  until  I  was  part 
of  one.  There  is  a  great  deal  to  do.  What  ?  people 
ask.  To  begin  with,  there  is  always  a  large  stack 
of  mail  every  morning.  Begging  letters  from  in 
digent  Americans;  letters  asking  for  information  on 
every  subject  under  the  sun:  letters  from  business 
concerns  in  America  asking  for  statistics  on  this, 
that,  and  the  other  thing;  letters  from  provincial 
school-teachers  demanding  an  exhaustive  and  ex 
hausting  report  on  how  schoolrooms  in  this  country 
are  ventilated;  letters  from  naturalized  Americans 
asking  us  to  look  up  their  family  trees;  and,  beyond 
all  this,  once  a  week  there  is  a  pouch  from  the  De- 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  229 

partment  of  State  with  all  sorts  of  official  business, 
and  one  which  we  send  off  filled  with  reports  on 
political  and  financial  questions.  All  this  is  prima 
rily  Dalton's  duty.  He  opens,  sorts,  and  distributes 
the  mail.  Atkins  is  requisitioned  as  much  as  possi 
ble,  and  there  are  two  stenographers  at  work  all 
the  time.  If  this  work  could  be  done  without  in 
terruption  it  would  be  easy  enough;  but  there  is  the 
endless  line  of  visitors  with  passports  to  be  vised, 
requests  for  letters  of  introduction  to  every  one  from 
the  King  down,  tickets  of  admittance  to  places 
which  are  never  open  to  the  public,  complaints 
against  custom  regulations;  indeed,  they  come  for 
every  imaginable  and  unimaginable  reason.  And,  to 
add  to  our  task,  the  Ambassador  has  several  letters 
of  introduction  presented  to  him  almost  every  day. 
They  seem  to  come,  too,  from  intimate  friends,  and 
of  course  mean  a  luncheon  or  dinner  invitation  to 
the  bearer.  He  must  know  every  living  soul  in  the 
U.  S.  A.  Indeed,  if  any  one  scoffs  at  the  work  of 
an  embassy,  let  him  try  it  for  a  while ! 

This  afternoon  I  took  the  bull  by  the  horns,  as 
the  Ambassador  would  express  it,  and  went  in  to 
see  Mrs.  Colborne.  I  suppose  it  was  desperation 
that  made  me  do  it;  nothing  else  could  have  made 
me  so  rash.  I  knew  that  she  would  be  alone  at  tea, 
and  I  decided  to  act  quickly.  After  all,  I  do  not  think 
I  have  made  a  mistake. 

She  gave  me  tea  in  a  little  room  she  has  furnished 
with  Venetian  Louis  XV  things,  a  charming  room, 


230  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

essentially  feminine  and  thoroughly  uncomfortable. 
She  was  as  handsome  as  usual  in  a  tea-gown  with 
a  discreet  concession  toward  the  Court  mourning 
which  she  so  consistently  maintains.  We  discussed 
only  the  social  side  of  things,  her  obsession;  and  all 
the  time  she  was  talking  fluently  on  this  subject 
I  was  wondering  what  exactly  her  association  with 
the  Ambassador  could  be  like.  I  suppose  her  at 
titude  toward  him  is  that  world-old  one  of  love  for 
the  one  who  gives  her  everything  that  her  heart 
desires;  his  toward  her  is  probably  equally  primitive: 
the  love  that  comes  from  the  pride  of  being  the 
possessor  of  something  beautiful.  My  reasoning  re 
calls  a  comment  a  man  once  made  when  asked 
what  his  friend,  a  rich  old  banker,  found  to  love  in 
his  silly  but  very  pretty  young  wife.  "Oh,  he's 
proud  of  her  looks  and  the  way  she  spends  his 
money."  I  hate  to  think  that  the  Ambassador's 
attitude  toward  his  wife  is  a  similar  one;  yet,  up  to 
the  present,  I  have  discovered  nothing  to  suggest 
anything  deeper. 

While  she  was  lighting  her  delicately  scented 
cigarette  my  opportunity  came. 

"So  Miss  Colborne  is  going  to  marry  Comte  de 
Stanlau,"  I  commented. 

She  smiled,  though  with  just  a  bit  of  effort. 

"Then  she  has  told  you!  Isn't  it  delightful? 
I  think  she  is  really  to  be  congratulated.  And  think 
what  a  reclame  for  her  father !" 

"Reclame!    How?" 

"  There  are  not  many  American  ambassadors  who 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  231 

marry  their  daughters  so  successfully.  Of  course, 
you  know  Comte  de  Stanlau  is  quite  the  best  parti 
here." 

"I  hardly  think  that  will  have  much  effect  on 
the  Ambassador." 

"Perhaps  not  now,  but  later,  when  he  sees  the 
inestimable  advantages  for  Kate  that  will  result  from 
such  an  alliance." 

"Then  you  think  she  loves  him?" 

She  avoided  my  eyes,  looked  away,  and  drew 
daintily  at  her  cigarette.  "I  am  inclined  to  think 
I  believe  in  the  European  idea  of  love  for  a  young 
girl.  They  assert  she  doesn't  know  what  it  means 
until  she  is  married." 

I  let  a  few  seconds  pass  in  silence.  Having  been 
present  at  the  scene  which  had  taken  place  between 
her  and  Dalton  about  the  cable,  I  was  not  sure  that 
my  next  remark  would  not  cause  a  similar  outburst. 
However,  I  took  the  plunge.  Officious  or  not,  I  did 
not  care — provided  something  were  gained. 

"Then  you  do  not  think  that  Miss  Colborne's 
discovery  that  Comte  de  Stanlau  has  the  cable, 
and  that  it  is  in  his  power  to  ruin  the  Ambassador, 
had  anything  to  do  with  her  decision?" 

She  listened,  first  with  a  flush  of  anger;  then,  as 
I  continued,  the  color  faded  and  her  eyes  opened 
wide  in  sincere  amazement. 

"What  do  you  mean  by  Comte  de  Stanlau  ruin 
ing  my  husband?" 

"Surely,"  I  exclaimed,  "you  read  the  cable!" 

Her  indecision,   her   resentment,   her  fear  were 


232  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

plainly  visible  in  her  expression.  In  the  end  fear 
conquered. 

"I  don't  know  anything  about  political  affairs," 
she  said  in  a  low  voice.  "Was — was  it  very  im 
portant?" 

It  was  my  turn  now  to  stare  in  amazement.  I  had 
never  thought  her  clever,  but  that  she  could  be  so 
stupid  as  this  seemed  incredible. 

"You  must  have  seen  how  worried  the  Ambassa 
dor  was  when  it  disappeared?" 

At  this  she  appeared  a  little  relieved.  "John  is 
always  frightfully  worried  over  any  business  af 
fair." 

"But,  Mrs.  Colborne,"  I  cried,  "don't  you  know 
that  cable  contained  the  most  important  information 
with  regard  to  the  United  States  !  Don't  you  know 
that  if  it  were  made  public  your  husband  would  be 
disgraced  for  life !  He  would  be  looked  upon  as  a 
man  without  honor!  He  would  be  shunned  by 
every  one!" 

She  rose  from  her  chair  and  started  quickly  across 
the  room,  then  stopped  short  and  stood  perfectly 
still.  Her  movements  were  undecided  and  without 
object.  It  was  evident  that  she  was  struggling  to 
control  herself,  and  perhaps,  too,  to  understand  what 
I  had  told  her.  Her  face,  when  she  turned  toward 
me,  was  strangely  altered  with  conflicting  emo 
tions. 

"I  don't  understand,"  she  said  as  if  to  herself. 
"I  don't  understand  at  all!  Why  wasn't  I  told 
about  this?  If  I  had  only  known,  if  I  had  been 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  233 

.  advised!  Surely" — the  tears  began  to  show  in  her 
eyes — "surely  it  is  not  so  bad  as  you  say !" 

She  sank  down  in  a  chair  and  covered  her  face 
with  her  hands.  It  was  a  strange  sight  to  see  her 
give  way  so  completely.  She  is  always  so  well 
poised  and  self-satisfied  and  pleased  with  her  sur 
roundings  that,  to  see  her  sincerely  distressed,  was 
almost  fantastic.  It  seemed  abnormal.  And  yet 
it  was  rather  touching  to  see  her  brought  face  to 
face  with  her  own  deficiency.  After  all,  one  cannot 
condemn  a  human  being  for  the  qualities — or  lack 
of  them — for  which  nature  is  responsible. 

After  a  little  while  she  dried  her  tears  and  looked 
up. 

"What  is  going  to  be  done?  What  can  I  do? 
This  marriage  cannot  take  place!  I  am  beginning 
to  understand  it  all  better  now.  I  know  why  Kate 
is  so  strange  and  sad.  How  foolish  I  have  been!" 
She  clasped  her  hands  on  her  breast;  the  tears 
rolled  down  her  cheeks.  "How  stupid  I  have  been ! 
I  shall  never  forgive  myself ! " 

One  of  her  phrases  made  my  heart  leap. 

"Why  did  you  say  the  marriage  could  not  take 
place?" 

"Because  she  does  not  love  him.  She  never  has. 
She  is  only  doing  it  to  save  her  father." 

I  grasped  her  hands  warmly.  "Mrs.  Colborne, 
can  you  make  her  admit  that?" 

"Of  course  I  can,"  she  exclaimed,  surprised  at 
my  question.  "She  realizes  that  I  know  she 
doesn't." 


234  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

"Then — then — if  you  can  do  that — "  I  broke 
off,  hearing  the  Ambassador's  voice  in  the  next 
room.  .  .  . 

This  conversation  has  left  me  strangely  disturbed. 
Have  I  misunderstood  her?  Have  I  been  judging 
her  wrongly  all  this  time?  Did  she  give  Stanlau 
the  cable?  Somehow — I  have  the  feeling  now  that 
perhaps  she  did  not.  Could  she  have  been  acting ! 
Her  distress  appeared  sincere.  And  her  sudden 
assertion  that  the  marriage  must  not  take  place ! 
What  does  that  mean?  It  is  quite  beyond  me  to 
understand  women. 

Her  expression,  as  I  left  the  room,  startled  me. 
It  was  still  puzzled,  yet,  beyond  bewilderment,  I 
caught  a  new  look  of  determination.  She  is  evi 
dently  going  to  act — and  at  once.  Perhaps  she  is 
going  to  confess  to  the  Ambassador  that  she  did 
give  the  cable  to  Comte  de  Stanlau !_, 


XVI 

March  25,  19 — . 

Two  weeks  more  and  Parliament  meets;  yet 
everything  appears  to  be  in  exactly  the  same  state 
that  it  was  a  fortnight  ago,  with  this  exception: 
the  Ambassador  has  had  several  long  interviews 
with  Comte  de  Stanlau.  As  far  as  I  can  make  out, 
the  Ambassador  is  letting  him  think  that  he  has 
accepted  Kate's  decision  as  final.  Stanlau  has  out 
lined  very  frankly  his  plan.  When  the  vote  is  cast 
there  will  be  a  preponderance  in  favor  of  us — enough 
to  pass  the  bill  at  once. 

"Then  we  are  practically  safe,"  I  said.  "You've 
won!" 

"My  Government  has  won,"  he  answered,  looking 
at  me  with  a  new  expression  in  his  eyes.  "/  have 
lost." 

I  knew  what  he  meant,  for,  strive  as  hard  as  he 
has  done,  he  has  been  able  to  get  nothing  more  from 
Kate  than  what  she  had  told  him  at  first.  He  has 
given  all  of  his  free  time  to  her;  they  have  ridden 
together;  they  have  taken  long  walks.  I  have  seen 
them  often  sitting  in  the  garden  when  I  arrive  in 
the  morning  at  the  Embassy;  yet  each  time  that 
he  leaves  her  I  know  that  he  has  not  succeeded  in 
getting  her  to  modify  her  first  statement.  Even 
Mrs.  Colborne,  who  was  so  assured  in  my  interview 

235 


236  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

with  her  that  Kate  did  not  love  Stanlau,  has  begun 
to  believe  she  was  mistaken. 

"I  won't  believe  it!  I  won't  believe  it!"  the 
Ambassador  would  exclaim  from  time  to  time. 
"I'll  break  her  down  yet." 

"Even  if  you  do,  what  then?" 

He  looked  at  me  as  if  wondering  that  such  stu 
pidity  could  exist.  "Don't  you  see?  Hasn't  Stan 
lau,  in  his  assurance  and  confidence  in  Kate,  put 
himself  entirely  in  my  power ! " 

"He  can  well  afford  to  do  that,"  I  commented 
bitterly. 

"Don't  I  know  that!"  he  frowned  perplexedly. 
"That  is  what  is  tying  my  hands  now.  If  she  would 
only  tell  me  the  truth  I  could  go  straight  ahead  and 
plan  my  campaign.  It's  all  here" — he  tapped  his 
forehead — "clear  enough.  Only" — he  sat  down  and 
lowered  his  head  in  his  hands — "if  she  loves  that 
man  I  won't  do  anything.  I  couldn't." 

He  sat  so  long  silent,  in  this  unusually  despondent 
attitude,  that  I  began  to  wonder  if  he  too  had  not 
given  up  all  hope  yet  would  not  confess  it.  Then, 
quite  without  any  leading  up  to  the  subject,  he  be 
gan  to  talk  about  his  first  wife,  Kate's  mother.  He 
did  it  very  simply  and  with  touching  ingenuousness. 
He  described  the  beginning  of  his  love  for  her,  the 
courtship,  their  marriage,  and  the  few  years  they 
had  lived  together.  There  was  something  very 
tender  and  sweet,  almost  poetic,  in  the  way  he  told 
it;  and  I  saw  that  it  was  the  real  part  of  his  life, 
that  idyl  that  every  man  carries  with  him  to  the 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  237 

end,  and  perhaps  beyond,  in  his  secret  heart.  Kate, 
to  him,  is  the  living  symbol  of  that  memory.  No 
wonder  he  clings  to  her  more  than  to  anything  else 
in  his  life. 

"Everything  was  a  long  way  from  moving 
smoothly  in  those  days,"  he  said  with  a  far-off,  re 
flective  look  in  his  eyes.  "We  were  mighty  poor  at 
first.  But  she  knew  how  to  save  and  how  to  make 
me  think  she  had  everything  she  wanted.  And 
when  I  began  to  get  up  in  the  world  and  things  were 
coming  easy,  she  still  made  me  think  everything 
was  just  as  it  ought  to  be."  Again  he  sat  through  a 
long  silence,  his  head  once  more  lowered  in  his 
hands.  "I  didn't  know  until  a  month  before  she 
died  that  she  had  been  ill  for  two  years.  She  had 
known  all  along  that  she  could  not  last  long,  and  yet 
—she  wouldn't  tell  me  until  I  had  to  know  .  .  . 
Men  are  always  bragging  about  how  strong  they 
are;  but  beside  a  fine,  brave,  noble  woman  we  are 
nothing  but  babies." 

He  got  up,  brushed  his  hand  across  his  eyes,  and 
reached  for  his  handkerchief.  "So,  you  see,  that's 
the  sort  of  a  mother  Kate  had  and  that's  the  sort  of 
spirit  I'm  up  against  now.  She'll  stand  anything 
if  she  feels  she  has  got  to.  So — there  we  are!" 

Once  more  I  put  my  question  of  what  could  be 
done  if  Kate  admitted  she  did  not  love  Stanlau. 

"Wait  and  see,  young  man,"  he  said,  suddenly 
aglow  with  enthusiasm.  "I  said  I  was  no  good  at 
this  foreign  intriguing.  But  I'm  going  to  show  them 
that  a  straight,  uncultivated  American — oh,  I  know 


238  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

well  enough  they  all  call  me  that — every  last  one 
of  them — can  play  their  game  just  as  well  as  they 
can.  It  isn't  my  profession,  thank  God,  but  if  I'm 
forced  into  it  to  protect  my  country  and,  more  than 
that,  save  my  daughter,  you  can  be  sure  I'll  play 
it!" 

"Even  if  she  loves  him  she  ought  to  be  saved  from 
him." 

He  turned  on  me  swiftly.  "Do  you  know  some 
thing  you  haven't  told  me?" 

I  was  thinking  of  that  conversation  between  Vic- 
toire  and  Atkins  the  day  of  my  arrival. 

"I  suppose,  though,"  I  went  on  slowly,  "he  has 
to  consider  a  wife  who  will  bring  him  a  large  dot.'7 

"What  do  you  know  about  Kate's  dot,  as  you 
call  it?" 

"I  heard  that  there  was  a  story  current  in  Wash 
ington  that  you  said  you  would  give  her  an  enor 
mous  marriage  portion." 

"Who  told  you  that?" 

"A  woman." 

"Of  course — which  one?" 

"Comtesse  Victoire." 

"I  wonder  how  she  got  hold  of  that !" 

"Her  brother  heard  it  when  he  was  in  Washing 
ton." 

"H-m-m."  He  held  his  chin  reflectively  and 
gradually  his  expression  changed  into  a  smile. 
"I'm  glad  you  told  me  that." 

"Why,  sir?" 

"It  all  helps  in  building  up  the  case  against  him 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  239 

—the  case  which  I'm  steadily  presenting  to  Kate. 
Don't  you  see  what  a  ticklish  matter  it  is?  I've 
got  to  work  all  the  time  to  get  Stanlau  in  a  place 
where  he  can't  get  out;  and  still  I've  got  to  do  it  so 
that  I  can  either  hold  him  or  let  him  go." 

"Let  him  go!"  I  exclaimed,  incredulous. 

"Yes,  let  him  go,"  he  repeated  slowly.  "For 
that  is  what  I'll  do  if  she  loves  him." 

From  day  to  day  the  situation  grows  more  and 
more  interesting;  it  would  be  amusing  if  I  could  look 
at  it  impersonally  and  if  it  were  only  free  from  its 
tragic  element.  The  Ambassador  was  sent  for  by 
the  King  a  few  days  ago  and  they  had  a  long  talk 
on  the  coming  meeting  of  Parliament.  It  appears 
that  his  Majesty  is  keener  than  any  one  to  get  the 
bill  through  and  also  has  less  power  than  any  one 
to  accomplish  it. 

"What's  the  use  of  this  king  business,  anyhow!" 
exclaimed  the  Ambassador.  "He's  nothing  but  a 
figurehead !  Has  to  do  whatever  his  Prime  Minister 
tells  him  to,  besides  being  worried  to  death  all  the 
time  for  fear  he'll  be  kicked  out  of  the  Palace  and 
his  country  made  a  republic !  Why,  the  President 
of  the  United  States  is  a  mediaeval  tyrant  beside 
him!" 

It  seems  that  he  spent  two  hours  urging  the  Am 
bassador  not  to  leave  a  stone  unturned  to  get  the 
bill  passed.  It  has  been  the  same  with  the  Prime 
Minister  and  the  Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs.  All 
of  them  are  anxious  for  it  and  yet  know  that  Stan- 


240  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

lau  will  defeat  them.  The  Ambassador  leads  them 
on,  no  doubt  getting  more  of  an  insight  into  their 
politics  than  any  American  has  ever  done,  yet  know 
ing  all  the  time  that  everything  has  been  arranged. 
Laughing  in  his  sleeve  at  them,  too,  for  he  has  been 
careful  to  appear  as  much  in  doubt  about  the  out 
come  as  ever. 

Of  late  several  ambassadors  have  been  assidu 
ously  cultivating  us  all.  Mr.  Colborne  feels  sure  that 
Stanlau  is  leading  them  on  in  the  belief  that  his  in 
terests  are  all  in  favor  of  their  governments;  and 
they,  no  doubt,  are  counting  on  the  Ambassador 
letting  slip  something  that  will  throw  light  on  the 
subject. 

It  has  been  interesting  to  see  the  British  and 
American  ambassadors  together,  both  representing 
nations  that  speak  the  same  language — with  rather 
violent  differences  of  accent  and  uses  of  words— 
both  of  them,  broadly  speaking,  standing  for  the 
same  ideals.  It  has  made  me  realize  how  far  we 
have  grown  away  from  our  cousins  across  the  sea. 
In  reality  we  are  no  longer  similar.  It  may  be  due 
in  great  part  to  climatic  influence,  but,  undoubtedly, 
side  by  side  with  the  Englishman  an  American  has 
a  certain  impressive  virility  which  the  other  lacks. 
We  approach  people  and  things  with  a  geniality,  a 
frank  interest,  a  bluff  breeziness  which,  though  often 
wrongly  called  cock-sureness,  is  merely  an  expres 
sion  of  our  sincerity;  whilst  an  Englishman  advances 
with  a  carefulness  that  suggests  timidity  and  dis 
trust.  Lord  Gerald  Taskerton  and  John  T.  Col- 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  241 

borne,  side  by  side,  make  this  contrast  striking. 
Their  physical  differences  accentuate  it.  One  thin, 
tall,  awkwardly  correct,  and  cold,  suggesting  a  wa 
ter-color;  the  other  sturdy,  big,  friendly,  and  warm 
— an  oil-painting  in  vivid  colors. 

In  fact,  my  Ambassador  bears  comparison  to 
those  of  other  nations  with  the  advantage  all  in  his 
favor.  I  had  the  feeling,  as  a  great  many  people  at 
home  still  have,  that  our  ambassadors  are  a  great 
source  of  amusement  to  other  diplomatists  and  to 
the  people  of  the  countries  to  which  they  are  ap 
pointed.  It  may  be  in  some  ways  due  to  change  of 
customs,  et  cetera,  but  to-day  the  American  am 
bassador  is  far  from  being  a  laughing-stock.  Wher 
ever  he  goes  he  is  accepted  as  a  generous,  broad- 
minded,  intelligently  quick-witted,  and  active  man; 
more  than  that,  he  is  looked  upon  invariably  as  a 
man  of  high  moral  standards  and  integrity.  Even 
if  he  is  a  bit  gauche  in  a  drawing-room,  Europeans 
are  beginning  to  realize  that  his  other  qualities  are 
what  have  made  us  the  great  nation  we  are  to-day. 

Lately  the  Ambassador  has  fallen  into  the  habit 
of  sitting  alone  in  the  little  room  up-stairs,  the 
Tower  of  the  Dwarf.  Several  times  during  the  past 
fortnight  I  have  dined  with  them  enfamille,  and  im 
mediately  after  dinner  he  has  left  us  and  gone  up 
there.  Not  that  I  blame  him  very  much,  for  the 
dinners  have  been  far  from  gay.  Mrs.  Colborne  has 
grown  nervous  and  distraite — even  social  matters 
appear  to  have  lost  their  zest  for  her;  Kate,  pale 


242  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

and  determined  whenever  I  see  her  face  in  repose, 
attempts  to  keep  up  the  conversation,  but  it  is  such 
an  obvious  effort  that  no  one  has  the  heart  to  re 
spond;  and  the  Ambassador  himself  has  developed 
a  taciturnity  that  throws  a  wet  blanket  over  us 
all.  Dalton's  agreeable,  sympathetic  manner  has 
become  perfunctory.  Indeed,  Atkins  is  the  only  one 
who  goes  happily  on  in  his  care-free,  scoffing  way. 

Mrs.  Colborne  was  roused  to  a  renewed  interest 
yesterday  when  a  royal  messenger  arrived  from  the 
Palace  with  a  note  from  the  Court  Chamberlain 
informing  the  Ambassador  that  their  Majesties 
the  King  and  Queen  would  dine  at  the  Embassy 
on  the  evening  of  the  ist  of  April  at  seven  o'clock. 
It  is  their  custom,  I  understand,  to  dine  with  each 
Ambassador  once  every  year,  and,  as  seven  o'clock 
is  the  royal  dinner-hour,  they  demand  the  same  time 
of  their  hosts.  I  have  been  struck  with  the  differ 
ence  in  the  dinner-hour  here.  Almost  all  of  the 
official  houses — I  mean  the  officials  of  the  Govern 
ment — at  which  I  have  dined  invite  one  anywhere 
from  half -past  six  to  eight;  all  the  embassies  use 
half -past  eight;  and  the  hour  of  the  natives  changes 
according  to  their  fashionable  standing — the  smarter 
the  house,  the  later  the  hour.  In  many,  one  never 
gets  to  the  table  until  nine  o'clock.  And  the  dinners ! 
It  is  amusing  to  compare  them  to  those  in  New 
York.  The  food  is  primarily  better.  One  doesn't 
have  the  feeling  that  everything  has  been  stored 
away  in  ice  for  months.  The  same  amount  of 
thought  is  probably  not  bestowed  upon  the  vintage 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  243 

of  the  wines,  but  on  the  whole  they  are  excellent;  and 
I  like  the  idea  of  bringing  in  a  special  claret,  warmed 
and  already  poured  into  the  glasses.  The  correct 
temperature  for  such  wine,  I  understand,  is  the 
temperature  of  your  sweetheart's  hand.  A  discon 
certing  rule,  for  surely  every  one's  sweetheart  hasn't 
the  same  temperature.  Another  iron-clad  rule  here 
is  to  have  a  large  table  placed  in  the  drawing-room 
while  you  are  at  dinner,  so  that  when  you  rise, 
with  a  supreme  effort,  after  having  eaten  heartily 
of  fifteen  courses,  and  manage  to  get  back  to  the 
drawing-room  you  are  confronted  with  another 
table  groaning  with  sweets,  tea,  coffee,  lemonade, 
orangeade,  et  cetera,  which  a  man  servant  is  ready 
and  anxious  to  serve.  It  is  an  ancient  custom,  this 
postprandial  feast,  and  no  one  is  quite  at  liberty 
to  leave  until  he  has  partaken  of  it.  This  explains 
why  it  is  rushed  on  immediately  after  dinner,  as  so 
many  of  the  guests  are  "going  on"  to  other  places. 

The  Ambassador,  after  reading  the  royal  announce 
ment,  slapped  his  knee  and  smiled  contentedly. 

"I  suppose,  as  no  list  of  guests  is  included,  the 
High  Mucky-Mucks  will  condescend  to  let  me  in 
vite  whom  I  please." 

"Only,  you  must  submit  your  list  to  the  Grand 
Master  of  Ceremonies  first,"  Atkins  replied.  "But 
that  is  mere  form.  No  one  would  think  of  asking 
any  one  to  dine  with  their  Majesties  who  had  not 
been  presented  at  Court." 

The  Ambassador  looked  at  him  with  eyes  full  of 
determination.  "Well,  young  man,  I  am  going  to 


244  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

do  exactly  that  thing.  This  is  my  one  chance  to 
get  even  with  this  royal  red  tape.  My  first  guests 
are  going  to  be  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Haynes — the  American 
Consul  and  his  wife." 

Atkins  smiled  superciliously.  "Their  names  will 
surely  be  struck  off  the  list." 

The  Ambassador  leaned  back  with  considerable 
complacency.  "I'll  bet  they  won't." 

It  is  extraordinary  how  he  remembers  such  de 
tails  at  a  crisis  like  this.  All  the  rest  of  us  had  for 
gotten  Mrs.  Haynes's  first  visit  and  the  slight  which 
rankled  in  her  heart.  Not  so  the  Ambassador.  He 
had  evidently  pigeonholed  it  away  in  his  mind, 
and  it  was  there,  all  ready  to  be  remembered  when 
the  propitious  time  came. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Haynes  have  been  invited  to  the 
dinner.  Their  names  were  included  in  the  list  sent 
to  the  Master  of  Ceremonies,  and  the  list  was  re 
turned  by  that  august  functionary,  approved. 

This  afternoon  the  Ambassador  sent  for  me  to 
come  up  to  his  room.  He  was  in  the  little  tower 
room,  seated  in  a  deep  chair  and  looking  out  of  the 
window.  He  glanced  up  when  I  entered,  nodded, 
and  motioned  toward  a  chair.  I  sat  down,  struck 
by  the  appearance  of  his  face;  it  was  old  and  lined. 

"I've  just  talked  to  her,"  he  said,  not  meeting 
my  eyes  but  looking  straight  out  of  the  open  win 
dow.  "I've  about  given  up  all  hope.  I  can't 
make  her  deny  it.  She  says  she  loves  him." 

There  was  such  finality  in  the  way  he  accepted 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  245 

it  that  I  felt,  more  deeply  than  ever  before,  that 
there  was  no  longer  any  hope  for  me.  As  long  as 
he  felt  so  confident  of  making  Kate  confess,  I,  too, 
had  been  confident.  It  is  strange  how  another's 
hopefulness  boosts  up  one's  own ! 

"What's  the  name  of  that  jeweller  in  Paris?"  he 
asked  abruptly.  I  had  no  idea  what  he  was  lead 
ing  toward. 

"Cartier?"  I  suggested. 

"Yes,  that's  it.  I  want  you  to  telegraph  him  to 
send  a  man  here  with  some  tiaras — the  kind  count 
esses  wear.  I  want  a  lot  of  them  to  choose  from. 
Do  you  know  the  kind  I  mean?  They  have  seven 
or  eleven  points  to  them,  I  can't  remember  which." 

"The  coronet  of  a  countess — seven  points." 

"Well,  whatever  it  is.  Telegraph  him  to  send 
them  at  once.  All  sorts." 

I  rose,  utterly  disheartened. 

"Then  it  is  all  settled?" 

"It  looks  mighty  like  it,  my  boy."  His  mouth 
twisted  into  a  wry  smile.  "We  are  a  pretty  poor 
lot,  aren't  we?"  He  held  out  his  hand  and  clasped 
mine.  "To  think  of  us  letting  a  foreigner  get  the 
best  of  us  at  every  turn !  And  to  think  of  my  Kitty, 
of  all  women  in  the  world,  being  caught,  just  like 
all  the  rest  of  'em,  by  fine  feathers." 


XVII 

March  31,  19 — . 

PARLIAMENT  has  been  in  session  four  days.  We 
have  all  attended,  sitting  in  the  diplomatic  box  and 
trying  to  understand  what  was  being  said.  Thanks 
to  Dalton,  who  has  made  some  progress  in  the  lan 
guage,  we  are  able  to  get  a  vague  idea  of  the  gist  of 
the  discussions,  though  words  seem  to  be  of  much 
less  importance  than  gestures.  I  should  say  that 
acrobatic  efficiency  was  the  first  requisite  for  any 
one  with  political  ambitions  in  this  country.  Lead 
ing  an  orchestra  is  a  stationary  pose  compared  to 
one  of  these  deputies  making  a  speech.  Even 
Comte  de  Stanlau,  who  spoke  yesterday — "an  in 
spiring  patriotic  burst  of  eloquence/'  to  quote  from 
the  Socialist  paper — reverted  to  national  type  and 
threw  himself  about  with  impressive  emotional  ex 
altation.  I  suppose  he  had  to,  to  be  effective.  It 
is  quite  beyond  me  to  understand  how  a  man  of  his 
cleverness  and  exceptional  ability  can  lower  himself, 
if  only  in  his  own  estimation,  to  pretend  to  up 
hold  his  party  with  such  magnificent  sincerity  and 
yet  know  all  the  time  that  it  has  already  been  be 
trayed,  and  by  him  alone.  It  makes  me  gnash  my 
teeth  with  rage  to  think  of  Kate  marrying  this 
man.  It  convinces  me,  too,  that  she  can't  love  him, 
and  that  she  is  only  making  puppets  of  us  all  when 

246 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  247 

she  insists  that  she  does.  We  are  a  "poor  lot,"  as 
the  Ambassador  put  it;  and  yet,  what  can  we  do? 
Nothing — absolutely  nothing ! 

The  King  and  Queen  dine  at  the  Embassy  to 
morrow  night.  It  is  to  be  a  small  dinner,  at  least 
small  by  comparison  with  those  one  is  accustomed 
to  attend  here — only  eighteen  invited.  This  is  at 
his  Majesty's  request — he  abhors  big  dinners.  Wise 
King !  About  fifty  are  invited  to  come  in  after 
ward. 

This  afternoon  Dalton  brought  us  the  discon 
certing  news  that  the  vote  should  be  taken  to 
morrow  night,  about  ten  o'clock,  at  the  evening  ses 
sion  of  Parliament.  This  is  a  great  disappointment 
to  us  all,  as,  of  course,  none  of  us  shall  be  able  to 
leave  the  house  with  the  King  and  Queen  here.  The 
Ambassador  raged  for  an  hour  over  the  stupidity  of 
the  whole  thing,  and  was  on  the  point  of  threaten 
ing  to  ask  their  Majesties  to  put  off  dining  until  a 
day  later,  when  Dalton  suggested  that  it  was,  per 
haps,  a  very  clever  stroke  of  the  King,  suggested 
to  him  no  doubt  by  the  Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs. 

"I  don't  follow  you  at  all,  Dalton,"  the  Ambassa 
dor  exclaimed. 

"It  is  probably  known  how  long  the  discussions 
will  take,"  Dalton  explained,  "and  it  was  decided 
that  it  would  have  a  calming  effect  on  those  who 
might  make  some  demonstration  before  this  Em 
bassy  to  know  that  their  Majesties  were  here." 

"What  sort  of  a  demonstration  are  you  talking 
about?" 


248  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

"These  Socialists  are  a  nasty  lot  when  they  are 
aroused.  There  are  always  some  ready  to  throw 
stones." 

"I'd  like  to  see  them  try  it!"  cried  the  Ambassa 
dor. 

Dalton  went  to  the  window  and  drew  back  the 
curtain.  "Probably  you  haven't  noticed  that 
there  are  quite  a  few  gens  d'armes  in  the  Place. 
They  have  been  there  these  last  few  days  and  are 
to  guard  our  Embassy." 

The  Ambassador  looked  through  the  window, 
then  turned  away  with  a  doubting  smile. 

"You  are  getting  to  be  a  sensationalist,  Dalton. 
They  wouldn't  dare  trouble  us." 

"Not  the  better  classes — no.  But  there  is  always 
a  mob  ready  to  be  directed.  You  have  seen  that  the 
Socialists  state  that  our  bill  is  asking  their  country 
to  do  something  which  will  mean  sacrificing  national 
honor.  There  are  a  good  many  who  believe  that." 

"I'll  hang  out  the  Stars  and  Stripes  to-morrow," 
said  the  Ambassador  with  a  squaring  of  the  shoul 
ders,  "and  then  I'll  bet  they'll  think  twice  before 
doing  anything  rash." 

Later  in  the  afternoon  the  man  from  Cartier's 
arrived.  He  carried  with  him  an  important-looking 
package  covered  with  seals — the  assortment  of 
tiaras  the  Ambassador  had  ordered.  He  opened 
the  package  and  arranged  the  leather  cases  in  a 
row  on  the  Ambassador's  desk.  I  have  never  seen 
such  a  gorgeous  display  of  jewels !  One  tiara,  of 
diamonds  and  sapphires,  was  truly  magnificent,  the 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  249 

stones  suspended  so  that  with  the  least  motion  of 
the  wearer  they  would  move  and  glitter  in  a  dazzling 
way. 

The  Ambassador  sat  before  them  a  long  time  in 
deep  silence.  The  man  attempted  to  explain  the 
relative  value  of  each  but  was  peremptorily  silenced 
by  the  Ambassador  and  was  finally — though  after 
long  and  voluble  protest — sent  out  of  the  room. 

Left  alone,  the  Ambassador  again  sat  down  before 
the  jewels  and  stared  at  them.  He  was  so  long 
silent,  so  long  motionless,  that  I  looked  at  him 
anxiously  and  found  him  gazing  straight  before  him 
with  that  same  dumb  expression  of  misery  that  I 
had  seen  before.  He  is  suffering;  indeed,  he  has 
suffered  more  in  this  past  month,  I'm  sure,  than  he 
has  in  his  whole  past  life.  It  is  not  alone  sorrow  at 
giving  her  up,  either,  but  a  bitter  disappointment,  a 
deep  mortification,  that  she,  whom  he  has  loved  so 
devotedly,  should  wish  to  do  a  thing  directly  in 
opposition  to  all  that  he  thought  he  had  instilled  in 
her.  It  is  a  proof  of  his  extraordinary  breadth  of 
character  that  he  has  not  actually  forbidden  the 
marriage.  It  never  seems  to  have  entered  his  head 
to  do  so.  I  suppose  that,  too,  is  a  proof  of  his  trust 
in  Kate  and  his  wish  to  do  nothing  which  might 
mar  her  happiness. 

Half  an  hour  must  have  passed  before  he  spoke, 
and  then  it  was  to  himself  rather  than  to  me. 

"I  brought  Kitty  up  to  look  things  in  the  face  and 
tell  the  truth.  I  don't  believe  my  daughter  knows 
how  to  lie.  She  can't — she  can't!  And  yet,  by 


250  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

God" — he  got  up,  passed  around  the  desk,  and  closed 
each  one  of  the  cases  with  a  bang — "she  keeps  on 
telling  me  she  loves  Stanlau !  She  keeps  on  telling 
me  she  loves  him!" 

He  went  to  the  window,  threw  it  open,  and  drew 
in  a  long  draft  of  air.  When  he  turned  around 
his  eyes  were  full  of  a  sort  of  despairing  determina 
tion. 

"Go  tell  her  to  come  here,"  he  said  abruptly. 
"This  is  my  last  card.  It  may  be  an  old  fool's  crazy 
notion,  but  it  may  win.  God  grant  it  may !  Go  along 
and  bring  her  here.  And  come  back  with  her. 
Your  being  here  may  help  some." 

I  sent  word  to  her  by  Arturo  and  waited  in  the 
hall.  She  came  down  in  a  few  minutes,  dressed  to 
go  driving  with  Mrs.  Colborne.  It  was  the  first 
time  I  had  seen  her  in  spring  attire  and  her  beauty 
struck  me  with  a  new,  painful  force.  Women  are 
always  so  much  sweeter,  so  much  daintier  and  more 
feminine  in  spring  and  summer !  She  wore  a  broad- 
brimmed  straw  hat  covered  with  pink  roses — all 
shades  from  the  deepest  to  the  palest  rose;  and 
across  her  shoulders  she  had  thrown  a  thin  white 
scarf.  She  was  pale  and  slighter  than  I  had  ever 
seen  her,  and  infinitely  sweeter. 

I  made  an  impulsive  step  toward  her  and  held 
out  my  hand,  then  as  quickly  drew  back.  She  evi 
dently  saw  the  effort  I  made  to  control  a  torrent  of 
words,  hesitated,  then  finally  came  toward  me  and 
gave  me  her  hand.  I  took  it  in  mine  and  found  it 
icy  cold. 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  251 

"You  haven't  forgiven  me,"  she  said,  her  hand 
still  in  mine  but  her  eyes  looking  beyond  me.  It 
was  the  first  reference  she  had  made  to  our  conversa 
tion  in  the  garden.  In  fact,  we  have  rarely  met 
since  then,  and  never  alone.  It  was  the  only  way  to 
make  the  situation  endurable. 

"Can't  you?"  she  went  on,  almost  a  pleading 
note  in  her  voice.  "Won't  you?" 

"There  are  some  things  a  man  can't  forgive." 

She  drew  her  hand  away.  "I'm  sorry.  I — I 
wanted  you  to  go  on  being  my  friend." 

"It's  impossible,"  I  said,  turning  away  from  her. 
"No  man  can  love  a  woman  one  week  and  be  her 
friend  the  next." 

"Perhaps  not  now — but  later." 

"  I  shall  not  see  you  later.  I  am  going  home  next 
month."  My  decision  had  come  in  that  moment. 
I  can't  stop  on  here  and  see  her  all  the  time — an 
other  man's  wife.  It  would  be  unbearable. 

"Home!"  she  murmured,  barely  a  whisper. 
"Ah!"  Then,  with  a  quick  movement,  she  started 
across  the  hall.  "My  father  sent  for  me." 

"Yes;  he  asked  me  to  bring  you  to  his  office." 

The  Ambassador  met  us,  wreathed  in  smiles. 
The  change  in  him  during  the  few  minutes  in  which 
I  had  left  him  was  astounding.  It  was  only  later 
that  I  realized  that  all  his  gayety  was  assumed. 

"Got  a  surprise  for  you,  Kitty;  great  surprise! 
You  must  sit  down  in  my  chair  first,  though,  and 
compose  yourself.  Don't  want  to  take  your  breath 
away ! " 


252  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

She  looked  at  him,  surprised  and  pleased  at  his 
manner.  Taking  his  chair  before  the  desk,  she 
smiled  up  at  him;  then  her  eyes  fell  on  the  row  of 
leather  cases.  I  think  she  knew  in  a  moment  what 
they  were,  though  her  face  gave  no  clew  to  her 
thoughts.  She,  too,  may  have  been  playing  up  to 
her  father's  gayety.  Indeed,  I'm  sure  she  was. 

"Now — let  me  see,"  he  went  on.  "First — I  think 
you'll  have  to  take  off  your  hat." 

Smiling,  she  drew  out  the  pins,  lifted  her  hat,  and 
laid  it  on  the  desk. 

"That's  right.  Now — you  must  make  your 
choice."  He  tapped  the  closed  cases  one  by  one. 
"\Vhich?" 

Her  eyes  dwelt  on  the  cases  for  a  moment.  Finally 
she  indicated  one.  The  Ambassador  picked  it 
up. 

"This  one?  Very  good.  But  you  mustn't  see  it 
yet.  No,  indeed.  Now — shut  your  eyes.  I  wonder 
if  I  can  trust  you !  Cross  your  heart  and  promise 
me  you  will  keep  your  eyes  shut  until  I  tell  you  to 
open  them." 

She  leaned  back  in  the  chair,  still  smiling  sweetly, 
perhaps  a  bit  patiently,  and  closed  her  eyes. 

"I  promise.    See!    They  are  closed." 

The  Ambassador  opened  the  case.  It  contained 
the  tiara  of  sapphires  and  diamonds.  Picking  it  up 
helplessly,  he  viewed  it  and  then  glanced  at  me. 
"Come  here  and  help  me.  Devil  take  the  thing! 
Which  is  the  front?" 

I  showed  it  to  him. 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  253 

"That!"  he  exclaimed.  "Who'd  have  thought 
it!"  Then,  with  another  glance  at  it  and  one  at 
Kate,  he  held  it  out  to  me.  "Here,  you  put  it  on 
her!" 

I  turned  away.     " Never!" 

He  looked  at  me  quizzically  before  seeing  what  I 
meant.  For  a  bare  second  there  was  a  flash  of 
deep  sympathy  in  his  eyes.  Then  he  went  up  to 
Kate.  "Well,  I  guess  I'll  have  to  try  and  do  it 
myself." 

He  placed  the  tiara  on  her  hair,  settled  it  un 
necessarily  firmly,  and  stood  off  a  little  way  to  look 
at  the  effect. 

"Now,  Kitty,"  he  cried.  " One— two— three ! 
Open  your  eyes ! " 

She  opened  her  eyes  slowly  and  looked  at  her 
father;  then  her  hand  went  up  to  the  tiara  and 
felt  it. 

"I  can't  see  it." 

"There's  a  mirror.    Take  a  look  at  yourself." 

She  rose  and  crossed  the  room  to  a  mirror  set  in 
the  wall.  The  tiara  was  not  becoming  to  her.  The 
gleam  of  her  abundant  hair,  her  youth,  her  girlish- 
ness  made  the  jewels  tawdry  and  somehow  out  of 
place.  She  stood  with  her  back  to  us,  looking  at  her 
self  for  a  few  moments  in  silence.  The  Ambassador 
never  took  his  eyes  from  her. 

"A  tiara!"  she  said  finally,  as  if  with  an  effort. 
"How  beautiful!" 

"Hmp!"  said  the  Ambassador,  assuming  disap 
pointment.  "It's  a  lot  more  than  that!  I  had  it 


254  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

made  for  you  in  Paris.  Don't  you  see  what  it  rep 
resents?" 

Her  back  was  still  toward  us. 

"I  can't  make  out  the  design." 

"'Pon  my  word !  Turn  around.  Do  we  have  to 
tell  you  what  it  is?" 

She  turned  and,  I  being  nearest,  she  stopped 
directly  before  me  and  met  my  eyes.  "What  is 
it?" 

I  hesitated,  showing,  no  doubt,  all  the  bitterness 
that  was  in  me  at  that  moment.  "It  is  the  coronet 
of  a  countess." 

The  smile  with  which  she  had  waited  for  my 
answer  faded  from  her  lips.  Without  a  word  she 
lifted  the  tiara  from  her  head  and  replaced  it  in  its 
case.  As  she  did  this  I  caught  the  Ambassador's 
expression:  it  was  one  of  triumphant  happiness. 

"What !"  he  cried,  for  all  the  world  as  if  he  were 
sorely  disappointed.  "You  don't  like  it!" 

She  went  up  to  him  and  laid  her  hand  very  gently 
on  his  arm.  "I  have  no  right  to  wear  it  yet,"  she 
said  in  a  very  low  voice.  "I  will,  though — on  my 
wedding-day." 

The  Ambassador  took  both  her  hands  in  his  and 
drew  her  to  him.  "I  was  hoping  you'd  wear  it  to 
morrow  night  when  the  King  and  Queen  dine  with 
us.  Won't  you  ?  "  He  waited  for  her  to  answer,  and, 
seeing  her  so  long  silent,  lifted  her  chin  with  his 
hand  so  that  he  could  look  into  her  eyes.  "What ! 
A  tear ! "  He  drew  out  his  handkerchief  and  wiped 
away  her  tears  as  tenderly  as  a  woman  could  have 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  255 

done  it.  "There  now.  You  are  all  excited.  Too 
much  of  this  royal  business.  Our  American  nerves 
aren't  used  to  it.  We'll  have  to  cut  it  out  for  a 
while." 

She  drew  closer  to  him  as  if  clinging  to  him  for 
support.  "Father,"  she  said,  a  mere  whisper; 
and  I  caught  the  sound  of  a  suppressed  sob. 

His  arm  went  around  her  waist  and  held  her  firmly. 
"There — there!  Have  a  good  cry.  It  does  us  all 
heaps  of  good  at  times."  He  threw  me  a  glance  I 
did  not  understand,  then  went  on,  almost  cajolingly: 
"Soon  you'll  get  to  thinking  about  those  fine  castles 
you're  going  to  have  when  you're  a  countess — and 
then  you'll  be  smiling  again.  Countess  Kate !  My ! 
My !  Think  of  it !  What  will  they  say  when  I  go 
back  home  and  tell  'em  my  daughter,  little  Kate, 
is  a  countess  with  all  sorts  of  castles !  A  real  bona- 
fide  countess — no  fake  business  about  it." 

She  pulled  away  from  him  and  turned  toward  the 
window.  It  was  growing  dark,  so  that  I  could  not 
see  her  expression,  only  the  outline  of  her  figure 
silhouetted  against  the  twilight. 

The  Ambassador  watched  her  a  few  moments,  then 
continued  in  a  voice  which  he  struggled  to  make 
jovial.  "Why — they'll  expect  me  to  wear  a  silk 
hat  all  the  time.  I  can  hear  old  Jim  Bones  greet 
ing  me  right  now:  'Hello,  John !  What  in  the  devil 
do  you  mean  by  letting  your  girl  marry  one  of  those 
foreign  fellows  ?  See  mine  doing  a  thing  like  that ! 
Well,  I  guess  not !  She's  got  the  right  sort  of  an 
American  chap  for  her  husband."  He  stopped, 


256  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

turned  on  the  desk-lamp,  and  threw  me  a  glance 
of  inspection.  "'Nice  young  fellow,"'  he  began 
again.  "'Tall,  clean,  broad  shoulders,  honest  gray 
eyes.  Good  worker,  too.  Gave  'em  a  pretty  place 
over  on  Long  Island — big  garden — view  of  the 
ocean — mighty  nice  place.  He  goes  to  town  in  the 
morning — oh,  yes,  he's  in  an  office  on  Wall  Street; 
and  she — she  stays  at  home  and  plays  with  the 
kiddies.  Two  of  'em  already — and  another  on  the 
way.  All  mighty  simple — but  it's  real,  and  it's 
true,  and  it's  their  home ! ' '  He  stopped,  leaned 
heavily  against  the  desk,  and  looked  through  the 
gathering  dusk  at  his  daughter.  Then  he  sighed. 
"That's  the  way  old  Jim  Bones  looks  at  things. 
But  I'll  say  to  him:  'It  sounds  pretty  good,  Jim, 
but  it  wasn't  what  my  daughter  wanted ! ' ' 

We  both  waited  anxiously.  If  ever  he  were  going 
to  force  a  confession  from  her,  it  would  surely  be 
now.  While  we  stood  there,  silent  and  hoping 
against  hope,  the  shadows  gathering  into  darkness, 
she  made  a  slight  movement.  It  may  have  been  a 
shudder,  it  may  have  been  a  suppressed  sob.  Then, 
quickly  following  it,  came  a  sound  of  nervous  laugh 
ter.  It  jarred  on  the  stillness. 

"You — you  are  so  funny,  father!" 

The  Ambassador  drew  himself  up  as  though 
some  one  had  struck  him;  then,  to  my  amazement, 
he  broke  into  a  loud  laugh. 

"It  is  funny,  Kitty,  isn't  it!  That  sort  of  sim 
ple  life  at  home — when  over  here  you  can  have 
castles,  and  titles,  and  kings  and  queens,  and  all 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  257 

sorts  of  fine  things !    The  folks  at  home  haven't  a 
notion  how  fine  it  all  is,  have  they?" 

Her  answer  was  barely  audible.  "  No — they  don't 
know." 

"And  yet,  Kitty,"  he  went  on,  reflective  now 
and  as  if  debating  the  question,  "somehow — I  used 
to  think  you  would  have  been  happy  in  that  sort  of 
life?" 
•"I— I  thought  so,  too." 

"But  you  don't  think  so  now,  do  you,  Kitty?" 
He  waited  for  her  to  answer,  drawing  nearer  to  her. 
Taking  her  hand  in  his,  he  patted  it  gently.  "You 
know,  Kitty,  I  want  you  to  be  happy;  it's  the  only 
thing  in  the  world  I  do  want.  Nothing  else  counts. 
You  know  that,  don't  you?" 

She  nodded,  silent. 

Still  patting  her  hand,  he  drew  a  long  breath. 
"I  suppose  there's  no  use  hoping  you  might  change 
your  mind — and  go  back  home  with  me?" 

"No,  father;  it's  too  late  now." 

"Too  late!"  he  exclaimed,  his  voice  full  of  hope. 
"  It's  never  too  late.  If,  Kitty" — now  he  was  plead 
ing  with  all  the  force  in  him — "if  things  were  differ 
ent — do  you  think  you  could  be  happy  back  there? 
I  mean,  could  you  go  back  home — give  up  all  these 
castles  and  titles — be  just  a  plain  American  girl- 
could  you  do  that  and  be  happy?" 

She  turned  slowly  and  slipped  both  her  arms  about 
his  neck.  In  the  darkness  I  could  only  see  her 
eyes,  glowing  with  passionate,  imploring  love.  She 
looked  at  him  through  a  long  minute  which  seemed 
to  throb  with  things  unsaid. 


258  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

"Father,"   she  murmured  at  length,   "you   are 
breaking  my  heart!    You  are  ruining  everything 
for  me.     You  are  taking  all  the  joy  out  of  my— 
She  stopped  and  let  her  head  slip  down  on  his  shoul 
der. 

"Out  of  what,  Kitty?" 

An  interminable  time  passed  before  her  voice 
came,  low  but  resolute. 

"Out  of  my  love." 

The  Ambassador  pushed  her  roughly  away  from 
him,  and  turning  back  to  his  desk  he  sank  heavily 
into  his  chair.  She  was  beside  him  in  a  moment, 
but  before  she  could  speak  the  door  opened,  letting 
in  a  flood  of  light  from  the  hall,  and  Mrs.  Colborne 
entered. 

"I've  been  waiting  for  you,  Kate,"  she  said  im 
patiently.  "Are  you  ready?" 

Before  I  knew  it  Kate  had  slipped  past  me  and 
gone  out  of  the  room. 

Mrs.  Colborne  stopped  at  the  door  and  turned 
on  the  electric  light.  "Why  are  you  sitting  here  in 
the  dark?"  She  paused  abruptly  and  stared  at  the 
Ambassador.  He  was  leaning  forward  over  the 
desk,  his  head  bowed  on  his  hands.  "John!"  she 
cried.  "John — what  is  it?"  She  came  forward  and 
bent  over  him.  "John — what  is  wrong?  What  has 
happened?" 

He  answered  without  looking  up:  "I've  lost, 
Jenny;  I've  lost  everything!" 

She  glanced  at  me,  pale  and  anxious. 

"I've  played  my  last  card" — he  lifted  his  head 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  259 

and  stared  out  into  the  lighted  hall — "and  I've  lost. 
Go  along  with  Kate,  Jenny.  I've  got  to  fight  it 
out  alone  and  learn  how  to  face  it.  None  of  you 
can  help  me.  I  want  to  be  alone." 

And  so — this  is  to  be  the  end  of  my  love-story. 
"I've  got  to  fight  it  out  alone  and  face  it."  The 
Ambassador's  words  ring  in  my  ears  as  a  special 
message  to  me.  They  are  small  comfort — but  they 
are  full  of  courage.  At  least  there  are  no  longer 
any  disturbing  doubts.  She  could  not  have  re 
sisted  her  father  if  she  had  not  been  sincere.  How 
could  she  have  listened  to  his  pleading  and  refuted 
it  unless  she  loved  Stanlau?  It  would  have  been 
beyond  human  endurance.  Duty  and  conscience 
may  carry  one  far,  but  there  is  a  limit  to  their  power. 
I  am  trying  to  think  of  her  as  loving  so  deeply  that 
nothing  else  counts.  Poor  solace,  when  a  man  is 
losing  everything  that  was  dearest  to  him. 

I  shall  pull  out  as  soon  as  it  is  possible.  Why  did 
I  ever  consider  Walter's  suggestion?  If  I  hadn't 
I  should  never  have  known  this  infernal  feeling  of 
having  the  most  beautiful  thing  that  will  ever  come 
into  my  life  snuffed  out  like  a  birthday  candle. 

Damn  diplomacy ! 


XVIII 

April  7,  19— 

THE  most  extraordinary  thing  has  happened. 
Everything  is  topsyturvy  in  consequence.  I  don't 
believe  one  of  us  has  actually  taken  in  what  has 
occurred;  it  came  too  suddenly,  too  unexpectedly, 
too  much  out  of  a  gloomy,  ominous  sky.  The 
amazing  part  is  that  we  have  Mrs.  Colborne  to 
thank  for  it.  That  she  should  have  thought  of 
doing  such  a  thing,  not  only  thought  of  it  but 
actually  carried  it  out,  is  too  much  to  take  in  at 
once — than  that  she  should  have  originally  given 
the  cable  to  Comte  de  Stanlau.  As  I  look  back  on 
this  drama  which  has  been  playing  itself  out  among 
us  I  am  forced  to  admit,  even  if  I  do  it  with  laughter, 
that  Mrs.  Colborne  has  been  the  leading  lady  right 
straight  through  it.  The  Ambassador  swears  she 
made  him  go  in  for  diplomacy,  though  I  don't  as  a 
whole  accept  this  statement;  no  one  can  deny  that 
she  got  us  into  the  dramatic  situation,  every  one  of 
us — even  Atkins,  who  is  now  involved  with  Victoire 
—then,  having  created  the  situation,  she,  as  casually 
as  she  has  done  all  of  her  part  in  it —  But  I  must 
try  to  record  it  in  sequence  else  there  will  be  no 
head  nor  tail  to  it.  Indeed,  I  doubt  if  there  will  be, 
anyway,  as  I  feel  as  light-headed  as  a  dreamer. 

It  is  a  week  old  now — the  story  of  the  evening 
when  the  King  and  Queen  dined  at  the  Embassy. 

260 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  261 

It  seems  a  thousand  years  ago.  Since  then  hearts 
have  been  broken,  hearts  have  been  mended,  and 
some  history  has  been  made. 

I  remember  the  day  only  as  a  vague,  miserably 
unhappy  period  which  I  got  through  somehow. 
At  six  o'clock  I  arrived  at  the  Embassy,  fully  dressed 
for  the  evening;  this  at  the  Ambassador's  request, 
as  the  guests  were  to  arrive  before  their  Majesties 
and  there  might  be  some  things  to  be  done  at  the 
last  moment. 

I  found  Atkins  in  the  ballroom  with  a  group  of 
what  appeared  to  be  carpenters  in  the  uniform  of 
gens  d'armes.  They  were  pounding  away  with 
hammers  at  the  wainscoting,  sounding  the  plaster, 
examining  carefully  every  piece  of  furniture  in  the 
room,  one  even  going  so  far  as  to  climb  into  the 
chimneypiece  and  reappear  in  a  full  suit  of  soot. 

I  was  on  the  point  of  asking  Atkins  to  explain 
this  peculiar  proceeding,  when  the  Ambassador  ap 
peared.  Just  as  he  entered  the  room  the  man 
emerged  from  the  chimney  and,  evidently  recogniz 
ing  the  Ambassador,  took  an  erect  position  on  the 
hearth  and  began  a  series  of  impressive  bows.  His 
face,  covered  with  soot,  and  the  Ambassador's,  a 
study  in  amazement,  were  the  funniest  things  I've 
ever  seen. 

The  Ambassador  turned  to  Atkins.  "What  in  the 
devil  does  this  mean?  And  what  is  this  infernal 
noise  I've  been  hearing  for  the  last  hour?"  He 
stopped  short,  watching  with  fascinated  eyes  one 
of  the  men  who  had  placed  a  ladder  near  a  large 


262  THE   AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

painting,  climbed  up  to  it,  and  holding  it  from  the 
wall  was  now  peering  behind  it. 

"Is  this  a  lunatic  asylum  or  am  I  just  cracked 
myself!" 

"These  are  secret-service  men,"  Atkins  explained. 

"They  look  like  a  lot  of  dern  fools!  What  are 
they  doing  here?" 

"They  have  been  sent  by  his  Majesty  to  find  the 
bomb  that  has  been  secreted  in  this  Embassy." 

The  Ambassador  viewed  Atkins  placidly.  "  You're 
off  your  head,  too,  eh !  What's  the  matter  with  all 
of  you !  Bomb  in  this  Embassy !  Who  said  so?" 

"It  is  a  foregone  conclusion  that  there  is  always 
an  attempt  to  assassinate  his  Majesty  when  he  goes 
into  a  strange  house.  For  that  reason  these  men  are 
sent  to  examine  everything  very  carefully  before 
his  Majesty  arrives.  It  is  always  done." 

The  Ambassador  glanced  again  at  the  men.  They 
had  finished  their  examination  of  the  room  and 
were  standing  in  a  group  near  him  bowing  to  the 
ground  every  time  he  looked  toward  them. 

"I  don't  care  how  much  it's  done,"  he  cried,  so 
vehemently  that  the  men  made  their  bows  even  more 
profound.  "This  is  American  soil  and  it's  an  insult 
to  the  United  States  to  suspect  it !  Who  ever  heard 
of  our  trying  to  assassinate  any  one !" 

"Unfortunately" — and  Atkins's  face  took  on  the 
smile  which  he  wears  when  he  thinks  he  has  made  a 
point  against  the  United  States — "the  journals  here 
have  published  rather  long  accounts  of  the  assas 
sinations  of  McKinley,  Garfield,  and  even  Lincoln." 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  263 

"And  the  first  two  of  them  were  killed  by  men 
from  over  here,"  the  Ambassador  answered  quickly. 
''Anyhow,  get  rid  of  'em.  I  won't  have  this  sort  of 
thing  going  on  in  my  house."  He  pulled  out  his 
cigar-case  and  lighted  one  of  the  longest  cigars  I 
have  ever  seen.  Evidently  he  was  reinforcing  him 
self  for  the  evening.  Blowing  the  smoke  luxuriously 
before  him,  hands  in  both  pockets,  he  watched  Atkins 
approach  the  men  and  speak  to  them. 

"Vous  avez  fini,  maintenant?" 

The  men  bowed  in  unison.    "Oui,  monsieur." 

"Vous  etes  completement  persuades  qu'il  n'y  ait 
aucun  danger  pour  leurs  Majestes?" 

More  bows.     "Parfaitement,  monsieur." 

Atkins  turned  to  the  Ambassador.  "They  are 
quite  satisfied  that  you  have  permitted  no  plot  to 
assassinate  their  Majesties  to  be  arranged  in  this 
Embassy." 

The  Ambassador  shifted  his  cigar  impatiently. 
"Well,  why  don't  they  go?  Why  do  they  stand 
there  bobbing  like  a  Punch-and-Jud'y  show?" 

"They  are  waiting  for  a  souvenir  from  you,  sir, 
in  the  form  of  a  pourboire." 

"What's  that?" 

"I  believe,  in  America,  it  is  called  a  tip." 

The  Ambassador  walked  to  the  mantel  and 
brushed  the  ashes  from  his  cigar.  "I  might  have 
known  it,"  he  said.  "If  a  man  steps  on  your  foot 
over  here  he  expects  you  to  tip  him  for  it.  How 
much  do  they  want?" 

"I  think  a  thousand  francs  would  be  sufficient." 


264  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

"You  do,  do  you?  Two  hundred  dollars  to  be 
insulted  in  my  own  house !  I'll  be  dead  broke  when 
I  get  through  this  job  !" 

Atkins  drew  himself  up  with  what  he  considered 
hauteur.  "I  think  you  could  hardly  afford  to  give 
them  less.  They  are  employed  by  his  Majesty." 

" And  paid  by  me,"  the  Ambassador  cut  in.  "All 
right.  Tell  'em  to  come  around  in  the  morning  and 
I'll  pay  'em  their  wages." 

After  the  message  had  been  delivered  by  Atkins 
each  man  approached  the  Ambassador  separately, 
bowed  to  the  ground,  murmured  an  unctuous 
"Bon  soir,  wire  Excellence,"  and  backed  out  of 
the  room.  The  Ambassador  watched  them  in  con 
temptuous  silence.  When  they  were  gone  he  took 
the  mammoth  cigar  from  his  lips  and  carefully 
examined  it. 

"Now  I  know  exactly  how  big  a  fool  the  King 
feels  when  people  back  away  from  him.  What  a 
lot  of  tojnmy-rot  all  this  is !  I  wonder  how  much 
longer  people  will  put  up  with  it!" 

At  half -past  six  Dalton  came  in.  "I've  just  come 
from  Parliament,"  he  explained.  "I'm  sorry  to  be 
late.  Is  everything  satisfactory?" 

"Was  Stanlau  there?"  asked  the  Ambassador. 

"Yes.  He  left  just  before  a  recess  of  three  hours 
was  declared.  Excitement  was  running  pretty  high. 
There  may  be  some  trouble." 

"When  will  the  vote  be  taken?" 

"About  half -past  nine;  as  soon  as  the  evening 
session  begins." 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  265 

The  Ambassador  looked  at  his  watch  and  smiled. 
" Three  hours  more.  Funny  thing! — my  having 
every  one  most  interested  in  this  deal  dining  with 
me  on  the  same  evening  that  it's  to  be  decided. 
It  ought  to  be  mighty  interesting  to-night  to  watch 
the  faces  of  the  King  and  Stanlau  and  one  or  two 
ambassadors — to  say  nothing  of  my  own." 

"That  reminds  me,"  Dalton  broke  in.  "Comte 
de  Stanlau  drove  away  from  Parliament  with  two 
ambassadors.  It  is  the  third  time  I've  seen  them 
together  to-day.  Does  that  look  to  you  at  all 
suspicious?" 

"Everything's  suspicious  at  this  moment.  I  sup 
pose  they  are  having  a  last  fling  at  trying  to  make 
Stanlau  block  our  game." 

"Of  course — you  are  sure  of  Stanlau?"  Dalton's 
question  was  full  of  frank  anxiety. 

"I'm  sure  of  nothing,  Dalton,  till  I  know  it's 
finished." 

At  a  quarter  to  seven  we  were  all  assembled  in  the 
large  reception-room.  Mrs.  Colborne  caught  my  at 
tention  as  soon  as  she  entered  the  room.  She  was  as 
handsome  as  ever,  as  perfectly  dressed,  but  there 
was  a  subtle  difference  in  her  expression.  She  was 
very  quiet,  almost  silent,  and  I  received  the  im 
pression  that  some  element  of  determination  was 
absorbing  her  entire  attention  to  the  exclusion  even 
of  entertaining  royalty. 

With  a  gesture  unseen  by  the  others  she  called 
me  a  little  to  one  side. 


266  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

"I  understand  the  vote  is  to  be  taken  to-night," 
she  said  in  a  low  voice. 

"At  half -past  nine,"  I  answered. 

"Then  Comte  de  Stanlau  will  have  to  leave  here 
immediately  after  dinner  to  be  present?" 

I  nodded.  She  stood  a  moment  as  if  wishing  to 
tell  me  something,  then  evidently  changed  her  mind 
and  crossed  the  room  to  Kate,  who  had  just  entered. 

I  was  startled  at  Kate's  appearance.  Her  cos 
tume  was  much  more  elaborate  than  anything  I 
had  seen  her  wear  before.  It  made  her  strikingly 
older.  Somehow  I  thought  of  her  no  longer  as  a 
girl;  she  was  now  a  thorough  femme  du  monde, 
and  an  exceptionally  brilliant-looking  one.  When  I 
shook  hands  with  her  I  received  another  shock— 
her  vivid  color  was  artificial;  she  was  painted. 

She  was  speaking  to  Dalton  when  I  came  up. 
"Then  it  will  be  decided  to-night?"  she  said  to 
him,  searching  his  eyes  with  anxiety. 

"Yes.  I  should  say  at  about  ten  o'clock.  I  have 
the  cable  all  ready  in  cipher  to  send  to  Washington. 
To-morrow  morning  your  father's  name  will  be  on 
the  lips  of  every  American.  You  will  have  reason 
to  be  very  proud  of  him." 

She  looked  at  him,  almost  reprovingly.     "I  have 


reason  now." 


The  Ambassador  joined  the  group.  "Don't  let 
the  band  forget  to  play  'America'  when  the  King 
and  Queen  come  in,"  he  said  to  Atkins. 

"Their  Majesties  are  accustomed  to  hear  their 
own  national  anthem  at  their  entrance." 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  267 

"All  right,"  cried  the  Ambassador,  with  a  good- 
natured  laugh.  It  was  extraordinary  how  he  was 
making  the  best  of  things  and  giving  every  appear 
ance  of  carrying  only  the  gayest  of  hearts.  "But 
get  in  'America'  somewhere!" 

"John,  dear,  don't  forget  to  ask  his  Majesty  to 
play  bridge,"  Mrs.  Colborne  said.  "Comtesse  Vic- 
toire  says  he  adores  it." 

The  Ambassador  nodded.  "I'm  just  waiting  to 
double  anything  he  makes." 

Arturo  appeared  at  the  door,  which  was  a  sign 
that  the  first  guests  had  arrived.  His  livery  for 
special  occasions  is  nothing  short  of  sumptuous. 
Satin  knee-breeches,  a  coat  made  almost  entirely 
of  gold  braid,  white  silk  stockings,  and  very  smart 
slippers  with  buckles  of  brilliants,  and  all  this  topped 
by  a  white  peruque.  I'm  sure  his  ambition  is  to 
outdress  the  Court  Chamberlain,  and  he  has  suc 
ceeded.  How  he  loves  the  "king  and  queen  busi 
ness,"  as  the  Ambassador  calls  it;  it  is  the  raison 
d'etre  of  his  existence.  Standing  at  the  door  he  an 
nounced  the  guests  hi  a  very  resonant,  if  unusual, 
French  accent. 

Of  course  the  Hayneses  were  the  first  to  arrive: 
he  was  in  the  evening  suit  which  he  had  bought  to 
be  married  in  twenty-five  years  ago;  she  was  up 
holstered  in  a  most  striking  costume  of  red  satin 
covered  with  black  lace.  Her  train  was  important 
enough  for  a  function  at  St.  James's.  Neither  of 
them  had  the  slightest  idea  what  Arturo  was  saying 
when  he  announced  them.  And  I'm  sure  I'm  not 


268  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

surprised.  "Monsieur  le  Consul-General  des  Etats 
Unis  d'Amerigue  et  Madame  Haynes" — doesn't  sug 
gest  them  in  the  least. 

After  them:  "Son  Excellence  VAmbassadeur  de  la 
Grande  Bretagne  et  Lady  Taskerton,  Comtesse  Victoire 
de  Stanlau,  Son  Altesse  le  Prince  de  Carigni,  I'Am- 
bassadeur  de  sa  Majeste  le  Roi  d'ltalie"  et  cetera, 
and,  last  of  all,  "Monsieur  le  Comte  de  Stanlau" 

A  few  minutes  of  lively  conversation,  then  Ar- 
turo  appeared  bearing  aloft  a  three-branched  candle 
stick  with  lighted  candles.  This,  we  had  been  in 
formed,  was  to  signify  that  their  Majesties  were 
arriving.  With  Arturo  leading  the  way,  the  Am 
bassador  and  Dalton,  Atkins  and  I,  and  then  Mrs. 
Colborne  and  Kate  proceeded  to  the  entrance-hall. 
The  ladies  remained  at  the  top  of  the  stairs  while 
the  rest  of  us  went  down  to  the  porte-cochere. 

I  have  tried  to  find  out  the  reason  for  the  use 
of  the  three-branched  candlestick.  There  must  be 
some  tradition  connected  with  it.  So  far  I  have 
only  Arturo's  explanation,  which  is  that  it  has  al 
ways  been  used  and  that's  all  there  is  to  it. 

The  royal  coach  rolled  up  with  considerable  clat 
ter,  a  lot  of  Royal  Guardsmen  surrounding  it,  the 
Grand  Master  of  Ceremonies  sprang  out,  then  the 
King,  followed  by  the  Queen.  After  the  greetings 
the  Ambassador  gave  his  arm  to  the  Queen  and 
led  her  up  the  steps,  followed  by  Dalton  with  the 
King,  and  Atkins  and  I  supporting  the  Grand  Mas 
ter  of  Ceremonies.  Mrs.  Colborne,  having  made 
her  courtesies,  took  the  King's  arm  and  followed  the 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  269 

Ambassador  and  the  Queen  to  the  reception-room. 
Here  the  guests  had  arranged  themselves  in  a  half- 
circle,  ladies  on  one  side,  men  on  the  other.  All  of 
them  bowed  low  and  courtesied  as  their  Majesties 
entered.  The  Ambassador  conducted  the  Queen 
around  the  entire  circle,  her  hand  all  the  time  on 
his  arm,  as  she  greeted  each  guest  separately. 
This  successfully  accomplished  to  the  accompani 
ment  of  the  national  anthem — and  not  "  America  "- 
the  Ambassador  led  the  Queen  straight  out  to  the 
dining-room.  He  said  afterward  he'd  be  hanged 
before  he'd  again  go  through  such  an  ordeal. 

The  King  and  Mrs.  Colborne  were  going  through 
the  same  procedure  just  back  of  them,  and  as  both 
the  august  presences  disappeared  toward  the  dining- 
room  the  rest  of  us  followed  with  considerably  less 
form.  I  don't  believe  these  people  take  their  royal 
ties  a  bit  more  seriously  than  we  do. 

The  dinner  was  long  and  inexpressibly  dull. 
Royalties  appear  to  be  an  insurmountable  wet 
blanket.  Sitting  at  the  foot  of  the  table,  I  had  a 
good  view  of  every  one,  and  every  now  and  then  I 
would  pinch  myself  in  an  attempt  to  get  some  sort 
of  sensation  out  of  the  fact  that  I  was  sitting  at  the 
same  table  with  a  real,  live  King  and  Queen.  But 
try  as  hard  as  I  could  to  stir  my  imagination  it  was 
not  exciting.  Mrs.  Colborne  appeared  to  hit  it  off 
successfully  with  the  King  on  her  right  and  Lord 
Taskerton  on  her  left.  Opposite,  the  Ambassador 
struggled  hard  with  the  Queen.  Mrs.  Colborne  was 
right  when  she  said  her  Majesty  was  a  frump.  She 


270  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

is,  as  far  as  her  personal  appearance  goes;  even  her 
superb  jewels  seemed  to  consider  it  improper  to 
glitter  on  her  modest  person.  Veteran  diplomatists 
tell  me  it  is  always  this  way  with  queens;  they  in 
variably  fail  to  look  the  part.  They  admit,  however, 
two  exceptions — Alexandra  and  Margherita. 

When  we  got  back  to  the  drawing-room  the  guests 
formed  in  a  circle,  while  the  King  and  Mrs.  Col- 
borne,  the  Queen  and  the  Ambassador,  stopped  for 
a  brief  conversation  with  each  guest.  I  could  see 
from  the  expressions  that  it  was  the  stereotyped  list 
of  questions  and  answers.  There  was  one  burning 
exception,  however — Mrs.  Haynes.  As  the  King 
approached  her  she  plumed  herself  from  head  to 
foot,  shook  out  the  voluminous  black-and-red  train, 
and  crossed  her  hands  primly  on  her  stomach.  It 
was  Kraco's  proudest  moment. 

Mrs.  Colborne  saw  she  was  in  for  it,  gritted  her 
teeth,  and  stood  it  like  a  soldier. 

"Will  your  Majesty  permit  me  to  present  the 
wife  of  our  Consul- General — Mrs.  Haynes,"  she 
said. 

Mrs.  Haynes  gripped  his  Majesty's  hand  and 
achieved  a  courtesy  that  would  have  put  to  shame  a 
lady  in  waiting.  I  held  my  breath,  fearing  that  she 
would  never  be  able  to  rise  again.  But  she  did, 
and,  not  waiting  to  be  addressed  by  the  King,  burst 
straight  into  conversation. 

"I've  been  just  crazy  to  meet  you.  I've  seen 
you  and  the  Queen  driving  in  the  street;  and  one 
night  we  were  going  to  the  opera  because  they  said 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  271 

you  were  going  to  be  there.  But  Mr.  Haynes  and 
I  couldn't  go — it  was  on  Sunday  night.  We  cer 
tainly  were  disappointed,  for  we  were  sure  you  would 
wear  your  crown  at  the  opera.  Don't  you  ever 
wear  it?" 

The  King  looked  at  her  a  bit  puzzled;  then  his 
pleasant,  wrinkled  old  face  began  to  beam.  I  be 
lieve  he  was  enjoying  himself  for  the  first  time  that 
evening.  "No,  madame,"  he  replied  very  gra 
ciously,  "I  don't  wear  it  any  more.  It's  too  un 
comfortable." 

"I  certainly  am  sorry,"  Mrs.  Haynes  went  on 
placidly,  "for  I  was  going  to  ask  you  to  give  me  a 
photograph  of  yourself  for  the  Ladies  Civic  Club 
of  my  home  town.  But  how  will  they  know  you 
are  a  King  if  you  haven't  got  your  crown  on?" 

At  this  his  Majesty  laughed  gayly.  Mrs.  Haynes 
had  become  the  centre  of  attention.  The  King  was 
speaking  much  longer  to  her  than  to  the  others; 
more  than  that,  he  was  actually  laughing  with  her. 
"I  shall  send  you  one  of  our  coronation  photographs. 
Perhaps  that  will  be  convincing  proof  to  your 
American  friends."  Then,  with  the  training  of  a 
lifetime  the  set  phrase  came  to  his  lips.  "We  hope 
that  you  are  very  happy  in  our  country." 

Mrs.  Haynes's  training  of  a  lifetime  also  asserted 
itself.  "Indeed,  I'm  not  happy  here.  I'm  as  un 
happy  as  I  can  be.  I  'most  die  of  homesickness." 

Again  his  Majesty  appeared  in  doubt.  He  looked 
at  Mrs.  Haynes  most  sympathetically.  "Of  course 
— I  see.  Americans  love  their  country  very  much. 


272  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

I  hope  I  shall  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  it  some 
day." 

"You'd  be  sure  to  like  it.  This  kind  of  a  place 
is  good  enough  to  see  once;  but  give  me  Texas  to 
live  in — every  time." 

Once  more  the  King  laughed  gayly,  said  something 
about  real  patriotism  and  that  he  would  not  forget 
the  photograph,  shook  hands  with  Mrs.  Haynes, 
waited  until  she  had  successfully  performed  her 
courtesy,  and  moved  on  to  the  next  guest.  Even 
Mrs.  Colborne  and  Atkins  had  to  admit  that  Mrs. 
Haynes  had  achieved  a  succes  fou. 

Every  one  having  now  been  spoken  to,  the  Queen 
sat  down  and  a  group  immediately  formed  about  her. 
The  Ambassador  approached  the  King,  asked  if  he 
would  play  bridge,  and  conducted  him  to  the  library, 
where  tables  had  been  arranged.  The  after-dinner 
guests  began  to  arrive  and  the  chilling  formality 
lessened. 

I  slipped  out  to  another  room,  lighted  a  cigarette, 
and  drew  a  long  breath  of  relief.  Standing  in  a  re 
cessed  window,  I  saw  an  ambassador  and  Comte 
de  Stanlau  come  into  the  room  together.  They  sat 
down  on  a  sofa  and  lighted  cigarettes.  After  smok 
ing  in  silence  a  few  moments,  Stanlau  drew  out 
his  watch  and  looked  at  it;  then  he  rose  with  a 
start. 

"It  is  ten  o'clock.  I  must  return  to  Parliament," 
he  said. 

"You  still  refuse  my  offer?" 

"I  regret  exceedingly  that  we  could  not  make 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  273 

the  necessary  arrangements.  I  should  have  been 
glad  to  favor  your  Government." 

"I  did  all  that  was  possible.  I  cabled  your  price. 
I've  been  expecting  an  answer  all  day." 

Stanlau  smiled  and  held  out  his  hand.  "Thank 
you.  It  is  too  late  now." 

As  he  said  this  and  started  to  leave  the  room 
Arturo  entered,  carrying  a  telegram  on  a  silver 
tray.  He  went  directly  up  to  Stanlau's  companion 
and  presented  it. 

"One  moment,  Stanlau,"  said  this  Ambassador. 
He  tore  the  telegram  open,  laughed  contentedly, 
and  held  it  out  to  Stanlau.  "Just  in  time.  A  mo 
ment  more  and  it  would  have  been  too  late." 

Stanlau's  face  flushed  and  for  a  few  seconds  he 
appeared  undecided.  Then,  folding  the  telegram 
very  carefully,  he  slipped  it  into  his  pocket,  and 
extended  his  hand.  "You  have  won."  With  a 
quick,  nervous  gesture  he  turned  away.  "I  must 
bid  my  host  good  night  and  hurry  away." 

"Have  you  time?  You  need  not  worry  about 
Colborne;  I'll  make  your  excuses  for  you." 

Stanlau  was  already  at  the  door.  "It  will  only 
take  a  minute,"  he  said,  and  disappeared. 

Their  words  could  only  mean  one  thing:  Stanlau 
was  a  traitor.  He  had  sold  himself  to  a  higher 
bidder.  But  now,  at  the  last  moment,  what  could 
be  done  to  stop  him?  My  one  idea  was  to  get  to 
the  Ambassador  and  tell  him  before  Stanlau  had 
said  good  night.  Intent  on  this  purpose  I  rushed 
through  the  room  where  the  Queen  was  seated  and 


274  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

on  into  the  library.  I  was  too  late.  Stanlau  was 
already  bowing  to  the  King  and  making  his  excuses 
for  leaving.  Just  as  I  came  up  to  the  table  I  heard 
him  say  to  the  Ambassador:  "Could  I  possibly  see 
you  for  a  moment  before  I  go?" 

The  King,  intent  on  the  hand  he  had  just  picked 
up,  nodded  to  the  Ambassador.  "Of  course — I  shall 
excuse  you;  but  give  me  a  good  man  in  your  place. 
This  hand  is  too  good  not  to  be  played." 

The  Ambassador  saw  me  and  signalled  me  to  take 
his  place.  As  I  slipped  into  the  chair  he  vacated  I 
touched  him  on  the  arm.  He  leaned  near  enough  for 
me  to  whisper:  "Don't  let  him  get  away." 

I  could  not  tell  from  the  expression  of  his  face 
whether  he  had  caught  my  meaning  or  not.  As  I 
picked  up  my  cards  to  play  my  first  game  of  bridge 
with  a  King  for  partner  I  saw  the  Ambassador  and 
Stanlau,  arm  in  arm,  leave  the  room  by  a  door  which 
led  into  the  hall. 

Such  a  game  of  bridge  was  never  before  played, 
I'm  sure.  I  could  hardly  see  a  card.  Kate,  Stanlau, 
the  Ambassador  ruined,  our  mission  irretrievably 
lost,  everything  gone  to  smash — was  all  I  could 
think  of.  By  the  most  extraordinary  good  luck  I 
was  dummy  almost  every  hand;  otherwise  the  game 
could  not  have  gone  on.  Once,  while  we  were  dealing, 
Dalton  came  up,  bowed  to  the  King,  and  asked  if 
any  one  knew  where  Stanlau  was. 

"Who  wants  him?"  asked  his  Majesty. 

"They  are  telephoning  for  him  from  the  Chamber, 
your  Majesty." 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  275 

The  King  looked  at  his  watch.  "He  is  prob 
ably  there  now.  He  left  half  an  hour  ago.  Sans 
atout." 

I  was  vaguely  conscious  of  Dalton  moving  away; 
then,  long  after,  of  his  reappearance. 

"Do  you  know  where  the  Ambassador  is?"  he 
whispered  to  me. 

I  shook  my  head. 

"And  Mrs.  Colborne?" 

I  shook  my  head  again. 

"Something  has  happened,"  he  continued.  "I 
can't  find  either  of  them." 

Another  interminable  time  passed,  with  cards  and 
incoherent  scenes  passing  before  me.  Finally,  with 
a  relief  that  was  painful,  I  saw  the  King  push  back 
his  chair  and  rise. 

"A  very  good  game,"  he  said,  with  a  smile  of 
contentment.  Evidently  he  had  won.  Then,  with 
a  nod  toward  me:  "I  congratulate  you  on  your  game. 
Do  all  Americans  play  so  well?" 

I  suppose  I  replied,  though  I  don't  remember 
doing  so.  I  was  too  intent  upon  getting  back  to 
the  others  and  rinding  out  what  had  happened. 

In  the  drawing-room  the  Queen  was  still  sur 
rounded  by  her  circle  and  in  the  midst  of  it  the  per 
son  I  saw  first  was  Mrs.  Colborne.  Deadly  pale  and 
making  a  visible  effort  to  talk,  she  gazed  steadily 
at  the  door  which  led  into  the  hall. 

Dalton  drew  me  quickly  aside. 

"I  have  not  found  the  Ambassador  yet,"  he  said, 
his  voice  full  of  anxiety. 


276  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

"  It  doesn't  matter,"  I  answered.  "  We  are  ruined. 
Stanlau  has  betrayed  us." 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

Before  I  could  answer  I  saw  the  Grand  Master  of 
Ceremonies  come  hurriedly  into  the  room  and  go 
up  to  the  King.  A  few  words  passed  between  them, 
then  the  King  crossed  to  Mrs.  Colborne  and  held 
out  his  hand. 

"I  congratulate  you,  madame.  The  United 
States  have  won." 

She  sta-red  at  him,  pale  and  frightened.  She  put 
her  hand  on  a  chair  for  support  and  swayed  un 
steadily.  "Your  Majesty,"  she  murmured,  "I — I 
don't  understand." 

"The  vote  has  been  taken.    It  was  in  your  favor." 

Again  she  swayed  as  if  she  were  going  to  fall.  I 
made  a  quick  step  toward  her.  She  saw  me  and 
quickly  extending  her  hand  she  thrust  into  my 
fingers  a  key.  "The  tower  room,  quick!"  she  mur 
mured,  and  crumpled  down  in  the  chair  in  a  dead 
faint. 


XIX 

April  10,  19 — . 

IN  order  to  tell  what  was  taking  place  during  my 
first,  and  I  sincerely  hope  last,  game  of  bridge  with 
royalty,  it  is  necessary  to  piece  together  what  Mrs. 
Colborne  and  the  Ambassador  told  us  afterward. 

It  appears  that  when  the  Ambassador  left  the 
library  with  Comte  de  Stanlau  he  went  straight  to 
his  office.  The  chancery,  however,  having  been  ar 
ranged  that  evening  as  a  dressing-room  for  the 
guests,  afforded  no  place  for  a  private  interview; 
and  the  Ambassador  with  quick  decision  had  sug 
gested  that  they  go  up  to  his  private  study  in  the 
tower  room.  Mrs.  Colborne,  at  that  moment  in 
one  of  the  outer  reception-rooms,  saw  them  go  up 
the  steps  together  and,  for  no  reason  that  she  has 
yet  given,  followed  them  at  a  discreet  distance. 
Seeing  them  go  into  the  tower  room  and  close  the 
door  after  them,  she  followed  and  listened  at  the 
door. 

The  Ambassador  said  that  my  expression,  as  he 
pushed  me  into  the  chair  he  had  vacated  at  the 
bridge  table,  had  told  him  something  was  wrong. 
My  words,  followed  by  Stanlau's,  convinced  him  of 
it;  so  that  by  the  time  they  had  reached  the  tower 
room  he  had  had  a  few  minutes  in  which  to  gather 
his  wits  and  brace  himself  for  an  emergency. 

The  room  was  dark  when  they  entered  it.  The 

277 


278  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

Ambassador  turned  on  the  lights,  drew  his  cigar- 
case  from  his  pocket,  and  offered  it  to  Stanlau. 

"By  George,  I'm  glad  to  get  away  from  all  that 
hubbub  and  kowtowing  for  a  few  minutes!"  He 
sighed  and  sank  comfortably  into  a  chair.  "Sit 
down,  Stanlau;  make  yourself  at  home." 

Stanlau  glanced  at  his  watch.  "  I  am  sorry,  your 
Excellency,"  he  said  with  an  excess  of  formality. 
"I  must  go  at  once  to  the  Chamber." 

"No  reason  to  hurry,"  the  Ambassador  went  on 
placidly.  "You've  got  everything  fixed.  They 
wouldn't  do  anything  without  you." 

Stanlau  gave  a  slight  gesture  of  impatience. 
"The  vote  will  be  taken  this  evening." 

"You  don't  think  for  a  minute  I'm  forgetting 
that!  But  you've  given  your  men  their  orders; 
haven't  you?  As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  don't  see  any 
reason  for  you  to  be  there  at  all." 

Stanlau's  smile  was  one  of  patient  condescension. 
He  was  probably  wondering  at  the  guilelessness  of 
the  American  mind.  "If  I  did  not  appear  at  Parlia 
ment  this  evening — I  would  have  to  be  across  the 
frontier  by  morning." 

"Why?"  The  Ambassador's  incredulity  was 
sincere. 

"Because  it  would  be  a  frank  confession  that  I 
had  deserted  my  party.  If  they  ever  thought  that, 
it  would  no  longer  be  safe  for  me  here." 

"How  about  the  two  men  you  are  counting  on?" 

"They  leave  here  to-night." 

"You  don't  fear  their  squealing?" 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  279 

"I  beg  your  pardon.  Sometimes  I  don't  under 
stand  your  expressions." 

The  Ambassador  smiled.  "You  are  not  afraid 
they  will  tell  the  truth?" 

"Why  should  they?  They  would  gain  nothing 
by  it." 

The  Ambassador  leisurely  lighted  a  cigar  and 
stretched  out  his  legs  before  him.  "Well — you  take 
risks  over  here  that  we  don't  dream  of  at  home." 
Then,  still  as  if  they  had  the  whole  evening  at  their 
disposal,  he  went  on:  "You  said  you  wanted  to 
speak  to  me.  What's  up?" 

Before  answering  Stanlau  lighted  a  cigarette,  in 
haled  deeply,  then,  still  standing,  faced  the  Ambas 
sador.  "Your  Excellency,"  he  began,  very  calm, 
his  voice  perfectly  controlled,  "I  regret  to  inform 
you  that  I  am  forced  to  withdraw  from  my  promise 
to  you." 

"What  promise?" 

"I  cannot  let  the  bill  pass  to-night." 

The  Ambassador  pulled  out  his  watch,  an  old- 
fashioned  one,  snapped  the  case  open,  and  looked  at 
it.  "  Pretty  short  notice,  Stanlau,"  he  said,  quite 
as  calm  as  the  man  he  faced.  "What  does  it 
mean  ?  " 

"I  have  been  offered  double  the  amount  I  should 
receive  from  you  if  I  stop  the  passage  of  this  bill." 

"Double  the  amount  the  United  States  has  offered 
your  Government ! " 

"No.  Double  the  amount  that  would  come  to 
me  personally  from  you." 


280  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

The  Ambassador  wrinkled  his  brow  in  perplexity. 
"I  don't  follow  you!  I  don't  remember  promising 
you  anything." 

"Your  Excellency — "  Stanlau  began  with  a  depre 
cating  gesture,  and  stopped.  "It  amounts  to  the 
same  thing.  I  refer  to  your  daughter's  dot" 

It  was  extraordinary  how  the  Ambassador  con 
trolled  himself.  He  said  afterward  that  he  knew 
"something  inside  of  him  had  popped"  from  the 
strain. 

"We  have  not  discussed  what  I  would  give  my 
daughter." 

"You  and  I  have  not  discussed  it;  that  is  true. 
But  every  one  in  Washington  knew  that  you  had 
said  you  would  give  her  twenty-five  million  francs 
the  day  she  was  married." 

The  Ambassador  broke  into  a  loud  laugh. 
"Twenty- five  million  francs!  Do  you  know  how 
much  that  is  ?  It's  five  million  dollars !  My  dear 
fellow — you  flatter  me!  If  I  had  it  there's  no  one 
in  the  world  I'd  give  it  to  quicker  than  Kitty." 
He  smiled  reflectively.  "I  may  have  said  it;  if  I 
did,  it  must  have  been  about  seven  o'clock  at  the 
Metropolitan  Club — the  time  all  of  us  get  the 
idea  we  are  John  Rockefellers."  He  managed  to 
keep  up  his  laughter.  "So  that's  what  some  other 
country  offers  you  to  put  the  kibosh  on  my  deal, 
is  it?" 

"I  did  not  mention  any  names." 

"You'll  have  to,  if  you  expect  me  to  believe  you." 

Stanlau  flushed.    He  glanced  at  his  watch  again 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  281 

and  moved  toward  the  door.  "If  the  amount  is  out 
of  the  question,  your  Excellency,  I  see  no  further 
use  of  our  discussing  the  question."  He  put  the 
sentence  tentatively  and  awaited  an  answer. 

"Five  million  dollars!"  The  Ambassador  re 
peated  the  words  as  if  turning  the  amount  over  in 
his  mind.  "I  might  be  able  to  scrape  together  that 
amount — but  it  would  take  every  cent  I  have." 

Stanlau  moved  away  from  the  door.  "Does  that 
mean  that  you  will  consider  my  proposal?" 

The  Ambassador  drew  his  chair  to  the  table, 
pulled  a  writing-pad  and  pencil  to  him,  and  began 
jotting  down  figures.  After  a  few  moments  he 
threw  down  the  pencil  and  looked  up  at  Stanlau. 

"Yes,"  he  said,  "I  can  do  it.  But,  hold  on"— as 
Stanlau's  expression  changed  into  warm  cordiality— 
"I'll  have  to  insist  on  some  proof  of  the  offer  you 
claim  to  have." 

Stanlau  took  the  telegram  from  his  pocket  and 
laid  it  on  the  table.  The  Ambassador  read  it  and 
tossed  it  indifferently  aside. 

"So,"  he  said  slowly,  "if  I  double  what  you  call 
my  daughter's  marriage  portion,  the  bill  will  go 
through?" 

"I  can  assure  your  Excellency  of  that!" 

The  Ambassador  took  refuge  in  scratching  his 
head.  "I'U  have  to  think  it  over." 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  we  only  have  a  few  minutes 
left." 

"  In  which  to  raise  ten  million  dollars,  eh  ?  That's 
a  pretty  large  order!" 


282  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

Stanlau's  Olympian  calm  was  beginning  to  lessen. 
"If  it  is  impossible — my  offer  is  withdrawn." 

For  the  first  time  the  Ambassador  rose  from  his 
chair  and  faced  Stanlau.  "You  mean,  you  release 
my  daughter  from  her  promise  to  marry  you?" 

"I  regret  it  more  than  I  can  express." 

The  Ambassador  looked  him  up  and  down  with 
such  scorn  that  Stanlau  moved  back  a  step.  "I 
am  sincere,"  he  said  hurriedly.  "I  regret  it  exceed 
ingly.  Now — I  shall  bid  you  good  night." 

Quite  without  hurry  the  Ambassador's  hand  closed 
over  the  telegram  which  lay  on  the  table  between 
them.  He  picked  it  up,  smiled,  and  put  it  in  his 
pocket.  Stanlau  saw  the  confident  expression  on  his 
face  and  started. 

"I  shall  have  to  ask  you  to  return  me  that  tele 
gram,"  he  said  with  extreme  politeness;  and  the 
Ambassador  answered  with  equal  formality:  "I 
regret  exceedingly,  Count  Stanlau,  that  I  am  not 
able  to  do  that." 

Stanlau  came  quickly  around  the  table  and  up 
to  the  Ambassador.  "You  mean?"  he  asked,  his 
voice  ominously  low. 

"Exactly  what  I  said." 

They  stood  a  few  inches  apart,  their  eyes  glaring 
into  each  other's:  no  longer  subterfuge,  only  primi 
tive  passions  blazing  forth — confessed  enemies. 

Stanlau  was  the  first  to  speak.  "You  know  that 
I  can  ruin  you ! " 

"Yes — I  know  that;  I  know  also  that  in  doing 
so  you  will  ruin  yourself." 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  283 

Stanlau  smiled. 

"Laugh  if  you  please,"  cried  the  Ambassador. 
"To-morrow  morning  will  be  a  very  different  story. 
Do  you  think  I've  trusted  you  for  a  minute !  Do 
you  think  me  fool  enough  to  trust  any  of  your  kind ! 
I  know  American  honesty  and  frankness  makes 
most  of  us  easy  marks  for  your  crooked  methods — 
but  it  hasn't  this  time.  I've  got  all  the  proofs  I 
need  against  you.  I've  got  the  receipts  of  your 
tools — their  pledged  votes;  I've  got  a  nice  little 
piece  of  incriminating  paper  signed  by  your  sister; 
and  now — I've  got  this  telegram.  The  first  thing 
I  heard  when  I  arrived  here  was  that  the  King  had 
been  looking  for  a  good  excuse  to  exile  you  for 
years.  Well — I'm  going  to  give  him  that  chance 
to-morrow.  You  can  go  to  Parliament,  you  can 
call  off  your  paid  voters,  you  can  block  my  game; 
but  while  you  are  doing  that  you  had  better  buy  a 
ticket  on  the  first  train  that  will  take  you  across 
the  frontier."  The  Ambassador  pulled  out  his 
handkerchief,  mopped  his  face,  and  went  toward 
the  door.  "Now — you  had  better  hurry  to  Parlia 
ment.  I'm  going  back  to  my  guests." 

He  went  to  the  door,  grasped  the  latch,  and  gave 
it  a  vigorous  pull.  The  door  was  locked.  For  a 
moment  he  appeared  dumfounded,  turned  quickly 
toward  Stanlau  as  if  suspecting  him  of  foul  play, 
then  swung  back  to  the  door  and  began  knocking 
and  kicking  it  with  impatient  violence.  Meeting 
no  response,  he  put  his  mouth  close  to  the  crack  be 
tween  the  door  and  its  facing  and  roared  out  orders 


284  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

for  some  one  to  come.  This  went  on  for  a  few 
minutes  without  any  result.  Suddenly  the  Am 
bassador  crossed  to  the  window  and  looked  out. 
The  street,  fifty  feet  below,  was  quite  empty  and 
still.  When  he  turned  back  to  the  room  a  resonant 
string  of  oaths  on  his  lips,  he  stopped  short,  struck 
by  the  pallor  of  Stanlau's  face.  With  a  sudden 
outburst  of  laughter  he  threw  himself  heavily  into 
a  chair  and  went  on  laughing  until  the  tears  streamed 
down  his  face. 

Stanlau,  in  the  meantime,  tried  the  door,  went 
to  the  window  and  looked  out,  and  finally  began 
running  his  hand  along  the  wall,  feeling  for  a  possibly 
secreted  door.  The  Ambassador,  all  this  time,  was 
still  shaking  with  laughter.  His  face  grew  redder 
and  redder;  his  tears  mingled  with  sweat;  he  had 
lost  all  self-control  and  he  did  not  care. 

Finally  Stanlau  returned  to  the  Ambassador  and 
stood  before  him  with  a  threatening  attitude.  "  You 
know  what  my  being  kept  here  means !  If  I  were 
sure  it  was  a  trick—  He  stopped  short,  listened, 
then  went  to  the  window.  A  crowd  was  assembling 
in  the  Place.  Already  a  murmur  was  rising  from 
their  midst. 

At  last  the  Ambassador  grew  calm.  Pulling  him 
self  together,  he  rose  and  leisurely  lighted  a  ciga 
rette,  one  of  Stanlau's  left  on  the  table.  He  said 
afterward  that  nothing  else  could  have  shown  better 
the  state  he  was  in.  "You  are  in  for  it,  Stanlau," 
he  saidgayly.  "Be  a  sport.  Sit  down  and  smoke. 
Some  one  is  bound  to  miss  us  soon  and  find  out  where 
we  are." 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  285 

Once  more  he  sank  down  in  the  chair  and,  hi 
spite  of  every  effort,  began  again  shaking  with 
laughter.  .  .  . 

It  was  an  hour  later  that  Kate  and  I  found  them 
there.  She  had  seen  Mrs.  Colborne  give  me  the 
key  and  had  followed  me  out  of  the  room.  In  the 
hall  there  was  suppressed  excitement  among  the 
servants.  Near  the  entrance  I  noticed  three  foot 
men  peering  through  the  window.  Arturo  came  up 
to  us  with  a  really  human  expression. 

"There  is  a  demonstration  in  the  Place,  sir,"  he 
said.  "They  are  calling  for  Comte  de  Stanlau." 

"Who  are  they?  "  I  asked  quickly. 

His  expression  was  at  once  contemptuous.  "Only 
some  Socialists,  sir.  Quite  harmless!" 

I  ran  up  the  steps  two  at  a  time.  At  the  top  I  was 
surprised  to  find  Kate  still  beside  me.  We  did  not 
speak  until  we  had  stopped  before  the  door  of  the 
tower  room.  When  I  put  the  key  in  the  lock  I  felt 
her  hand  on  my  arm. 

"Wait — please,"  she  murmured.  I  looked  up  and 
found  her  trembling.  "I  am  frightened!  If  some 
thing  has  happened  to  father — "  she  stopped,  drew 
a  long  breath,  and  nodded.  "Go  on — unlock  the 
door." 

The  Ambassador  was  placidly  smoking,  seated 
comfortably  in  a  chair;  Stanlau,  with  folded  arms, 
was  at  the  window. 

Kate  rushed  to  her  father  and  sank  down  on  her 
knees  before  him. 

"Father!"  she  cried.    "You  are  all  right?" 


286  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

The  Ambassador  drew  her  close  to  him.  "Never 
felt  better  in  my  life,  Kitty.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
I'm  feeling  as  fine  as  a  fiddle." 

Stanlau  wheeled  about  and  faced  us.  His  face, 
during  the  hour  he  had  passed  in  that  room,  had 
changed  subtly.  Though  he  still  had  himself  under 
perfect  control,  he  looked  like  a  man  who  had  lost 
and  knew  all  that  it  meant.  With  a  formal  bow  he 
went  toward  the  door.  Kate  sprang  up  quickly. 

" Comte  de  Stanlau ! "  she  cried.    "One  moment ! " 

He  stopped  and  looked  at  her. 

"Don't  leave  by  the  front  entrance.  Go  through 
the  garden.  It  is  dangerous  out  there ! "  She 
nodded  toward  the  window. 

He  looked  at  her  as  if  not  sure  of  her  sincerity; 
then,  quite  calmly,  as  if  he  were  entering  a  drawing- 
room,  he  went  to  her  and  lifted  her  hand  to  his 
lips,  kissed  it,  looked  at  her  once  more,  and  then 
left  the  room.  It  was  tremendously  well  done- 
even  if  a  bit  stagy  it  was  still  graceful  and  effective. 
Any  one  seeing  him  at  that  moment  would  have 
felt  constrained  to  give  him  a  "Bravo!" 

When  he  was  gone  the  Ambassador  caught  Kate 
by  the  arm.  "Why  did  you  do  that ? "  he  demanded, 
with  a  scowl. 

"Because,  father,"  she  answered,  looking  him 
squarely  and  proudly  in  the  eyes,  "he  is  the  man  I 
am  going  to  marry ! " 

The  Ambassador  took  her  arm  and  drew  it  within 
his  own,  patting  her  hand  very  gently  all  the  while; 
then  he  led  her  toward  the  door. 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  287 

"Goodness,  gracious  me!"  he  said,  drawing  her 
along  with  him  down  the  hall.  "It  had  clean  gone 
out  of  my  mind.  Kitty,  do  you  know  it,  there's  a 
King  and  Queen  down-stairs!" 


XX 

May  i,  19 — . 

"WELL,  Arturo,  what  do  you  think  of  it?" 

Arturo  drew  himself  up  and  turned  an  expression 
less  countenance  toward  me. 

"I  have  been  in  diplomacy  twenty-five  years, 
sir." 

That  was  all  he  said,  quite  without  inflection, 
quite  without  any  facial  expression  which  might  give 
one  a  clew  to  his  meaning.  Yet  to  one  who  knew 
Arturo,  diplomacy,  and  the  present  situation,  he 
could  not  have  been  more  eloquent.  However,  I 
was  determined  to  get  a  personal  opinion  from  him. 

"Does  having  been  in  diplomacy  twenty- five 
years  mean  that  you  have  lost  the  power  of  thinking 
— or  that  you  never  knew  anything  to  equal  it?" 

He  never  brooked  familiarity.  My  jocularity  was 
met  with  a  cold  stare.  "A  successful  diplomat,  sir, 
never  expresses  his  opinion." 

"Still,"  I  insisted,  "you" — I  laid  a  flattering 
emphasis  on  the  word — "have  opinions,  I  fancy?" 

For  a  second  I  thought  his  expression  was  going  to 
be  human;  I  was  mistaken.  "I  try  to  crush  them, 
sir,"  he  answered.  "It's  safer." 

"Perhaps  you  are  right,  Arturo.  But  this  is 
surely  a  case  to  test  your  discretion.  You  know 
the  Ambassador  is  leaving  to-morrow!" 

288 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  289 

"I  suppose  he  is  doing  what  he  wishes  to,  sir." 

"Tut,  tut,  Arturo!"  My  lack  of  success  was 
making  me  impatient.  "After  seven  months  here 
he  suddenly  decides  to  leave.  Surely  that  is  an 
extraordinary  incident,  even  in  your  twenty-five 
years  of  diplomatic  life!" 

He  listened  now  with  frank  ennui.  "After  a  year 
is  passed,  sir,  it  will  be  like  all  the  others.  They 
come,  sir — and  they  go,  sir." 

"And  what  is  left  of  all  these  ambassadors,  Ar 
turo?" 

He  turned  and  swept  his  hand  toward  the  row  of 
framed  photographs  of  former  ambassadors.  "Their 
portraits,  sir,  on  the  Embassy  walls!" 

It  is  discouraging  but  it  appears  to  be  true.  One 
never  hears  anything  of  one's  predecessors.  Per 
haps  at  first  a  few  of  his  enemies  will  speak  to  you 
of  him;  but  even  they  are  soon  bored  with  the  sub 
ject.  On  the  whole,  though,  I  suppose  it  is  rather 
satisfactory  to  know  that  no  matter  how  many 
gaffes  one  may  have  made  while  en  paste  in  a  certain 
capital,  they  will  not  be  remembered  ten  days  after 
one's  departure. 

Yes,  the  Ambassador  is  going  home;  so  is  Mrs. 
Colborne,  so  is  Kate — and  so  am  I.  We  are  all  so 
happy  about  it  that  it  amounts  to  a  breach  of  diplo 
matic  etiquette.  Even  Mrs.  Colborne  has  admitted 
that  she  thinks  the  U.  S.  A.,  everything  con 
sidered,  is  a  more  comfortable  place  to  live  in  than 
Europe. 


290  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

"Look  here,  Jenny,"  said  the  Ambassador,  "you'll 
soon  be  running  a  close  second  to  Mrs.  Haynes !" 

The  evening  the  King  and  Queen  dined  at  the 
Embassy,  now  a  month  ago,  was  the  climax  of  every 
thing  for  us.  When  I  think  of  that  evening  my  most 
distinct  impression  is  always  of  the  Ambassador 
entering  the  reception-room  with  Kate  beside  him. 
He  showed  the  effects  of  the  past  hour  only  in  his 
slightly  disordered  hair;  otherwise  he  was  resplen 
dent  with  victory,  and  not  so  much  the  victory  of 
his  country,  he  afterward  told  me,  as  the  victory  of 
Kate's  happiness.  He  went  straight  to  the  King, 
shook  hands  with  him,  and  for  a  few  minutes  they 
talked  together  much  as  two  boys  would  have  done 
over  some  successful  escapade;  then  he  turned  to 
the  Queen  who  was  sitting  on  a  sofa  holding  Mrs. 
Colborne's  hand  in  a  thoroughly  womanly,  warm 
hearted  way.  After  that  I  remember  very  little 
until  all  the  guests  had  gone  and  we  were  left  alone 
with  the  family — Dalton,  Atkins,  and  I.  We  sat 
in  the  large  reception-room,  filled  now  with  dazzling 
lights,  heavy  scents,  and  the  penetrating  silence 
which  floods  a  room  after  many  people  have  left  it. 
Every  one  was  rather  dazed  and  too  absorbed  with 
disturbing  thoughts  to  say  anything.  Arturo  broke 
the  spell  by  coming  in  and  turning  off  the  lights  in 
the  large  chandelier.  This  appeared  to  arouse  the 
Ambassador.  He  sprang  up,  ordered  his  whiskey 
and  soda  and  some  champagne  sent  to  the  library, 
and  called  to  us  all  to  follow  him  there.  It  was 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  291 

then  that  I  heard  the  story  of  his  interview  with 
Stanlau;  also  Mrs.  Colborne's  version  of  it  and  her 
decision  to  lock  them  both  in  so  that  Stanlau  could 
not  go  to  Parliament. 

I  watched  Kate's  face  during  the  Ambassador's 
story.  He  addressed  her  more  directly  than  the 
others  and  dwelt  upon  the  details  in  such  a  way 
that  I  have  been  able  to  give  a  rather  accurate  ac 
count  of  what  happened.  Kate  listened  with  deep 
interest  but  without  emotion.  Leaning  back  in  a 
deep  chair,  her  chin  resting  in  the  palm  of  her  hand, 
her  whole  figure  expressing  utter  fatigue,  she  looked 
steadily  down  at  the  floor. 

When  the  Ambassador  finished  and  we  burst  out 
with  numerous  questions  Kate  still  remained  silent. 
After  a  little  while  the  Ambassador  rose,  poured 
out  a  glass  of  champagne,  and  handed  it  to  Mrs. 
Colborne. 

"Jenny,"  he  said,  turning  away  and  filling  the 
other  glasses,  "we  are  all  going  to  drink  to  your 
health.  You've  disgraced  us — but  you've  saved  us, 
too!" 

"Disgraced  you !    What  do  you  mean,  John?" 

"Didn't  you  faint  in  the  presence  of  royalty !  I'll 
bet  no  other  American  ambassadress  has  that  to  her 
credit!"  He  laughed  happily  and  turned  to  Kate. 
Seeing  her  so  quiet  and  still,  he  looked  at  her,  puz 
zled.  "Kitty!"  he  said,  going  to  her  and  holding 
out  his  arms.  She  rose  quickly  and  put  her  arms 
about  his  neck;  his  tightened  about  her.  "Kitty!" 

I  vaguely  remember  seeing  Dalton  signal  to  me; 


292  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

a  moment  later  he  and  Atkins  slipped  quietly  out  of 
the  room.  I  remained. 

For  a  little  while  the  Ambassador  and  Kate  did 
not  speak;  then  he  took  her  hands  from  about  his 
neck  and  held  her  away  from  him  so  that  he  could 
see  her  face.  Through  tear-dimmed  eyes  she  showed 
a  vague,  trembling  little  smile.  It  made  my  heart 
leap.  As  the  Ambassador  saw  it  an  expression  came 
into  his  eyes  that  I  have  never  seen  before.  It  was 
at  first  as  if  he  had  been  bowled  over  with  surprise; 
this  was  followed  by  a  look  of  intense  anxiety;  and 
at  last  came  wild,  uncontrollable  joy. 

"Kitty!"  he  cried.  "It's  going  to  be  all  right 
with  you;  isn't  it,  darling?" 

I  held  my  breath  for  her  answer.  When  it  came 
it  was  only  a  nod. 

"Kitty,"  the  Ambassador  began  again,  though 
now  his  voice  broke  with  emotion,  "Kitty — you  have 
been  lying  to  me?" 

Again  she  nodded. 

He  pulled  her  to  him  in  a  crushing  embrace.  "  Oh 
—my  God!" 

Finally  Kate  lifted  her  head,  saw  the  others  had 
gone,  and,  though  still  clinging  to  her  father,  held 
out  her  hand  to  me. 

Three  days  later  the  Ambassador  called  on  the 
Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs  and  was  handed  an 
official  document  signed  by  the  King.  All  the  rest 
of  the  day  we  worked  on  a  cipher  telegram  to 
Washington  which  is  an  old  story  now,  but  which 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  293 

made  John  T.  Colborne  a  name  that  will  live  for 
ever  in  the  history  of  the  United  States  of  America. 

That  night  the  Ambassador  threw  a  bomb  into 
our  midst.  He  was  going  home. 

"I've  been  out  of  God's  country  going  on  seven 
months,"  he  said,  "and  that's  just  twice  as  long  as 
I  ever  intended  to  be.  I'm  getting  too  old  to  miss 
one  precious  moment  at  home.  Now,  I  don't  want 
to  hear  one  word  of  protest !  Do  you  understand  ?  " 
He  swept  the  table  with  a  glance  that  was  unneces 
sarily  defensive.  The  announcement  was  heard  in 
silence,  but  I  verily  believe  with  sincere  satisfaction 
by  us  all. 

The  next  morning  plans  had  been  made.  The 
Ambassador,  once  his  mind  is  made  up,  is  not  a  man 
to  brook  delay.  The  Department  of  State  has  been 
informed  of  his  resignation  and  Dal  ton  is  again  to 
be  Charge  d' Affaires. 

And  now  we  are  quite  ready  and  are  leaving  to 
night. 

This  morning,  while  looking  through  the  drawers 
of  my  desk  to  be  sure  that  no  incriminating  papers 
were  left  for  the  delectation  of  my  successor,  a  card 
was  brought  in  by  a  footman.  I  looked  up  surprised. 

"Where  is  Arturo?"  I  asked. 

"I  don't  know,  sir.  He  did  not  come  this  morn- 
ing." 

"111!"  I  suggested. 

The  man  looked  at  me  stolidly.  "I  don't  know, 
sir." 

I  looked  at  the  card  and  at  once  sensed  trouble. 


294  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

Under  a  coronet  ran  the  legend  "Victoire  de  Stan- 
lau." 

I  went  into  the  Ambassador's  room  and  laid  the 
card,  without  comment,  on  his  desk.  He  picked  it 
up,  read  it,  and,  without  saying  a  word,  threw  it 
into  the  waste-paper  basket. 

"Tell  her  I've  gone  home,"  he  said. 

"She  has  come  to  say  good-by,  sir,"  I  said. 

"The  devil!"  cried  the  Ambassador.  "Well— I 
suppose  it's  the  only  way  of  getting  rid  of  her! 
Show  her  in — and  stay  by  me  with  a  shotgun,  if  you 
have  one.  I'm  afraid  of  that  woman !" 

Victoire  appeared  radiant  and  received  me  most 
graciously.  None  of  us  had  seen  her  since  that 
memorable  night.  To  the  Ambassador  she  was  quite 
affectionate. 

"I  am  desolee!"  she  cried,  clasping  his  hand  with 
both  her  own.  "  You  are  leaving !  It  is  too  terrible ! 
We  shall  never  forget  you !"  she  hurried  on  in  spite 
of  the  Ambassador's  cold  manner.  "I  come — not 
only  to  say  good-by — but  to  ask  a  favor." 

The  Ambassador  abruptly  drew  away  his  hand. 
"If  it's  about  your  brother,  Countess— 

"It  is  about  my  dear  brother!" 

"Then  we'd  better  say  good-by  right  now.'* 

"But  it  is  important — tres  important!  Your  wife 
refuses  to  see  me.  And  your  daughter — my  dear 
brother's  fiancee 

The  Ambassador  cut  the  remark  short  with  up 
lifted  hand.  "My  daughter  is  no  longer  engaged 
to  your  brother." 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  295 

"But  she  has  given  him  her  word !" 

"And  I've  broken  it  for  her." 

Victoire's  affection  began  to  show  signs  of  cool 
ing;  her  eyes  expressed  incredulity.  "You  cannot 
do  that !  My  dear  brother  has  told  his  creditors  that 
you  would  pay  them  !  He  is  waiting  at  this  moment 
in  Paris.  He  cannot  return  here !  You  know  ces 
betes  socialistes  threaten  his  life  if  he  returns !  So — 
the  marriage  must  take  place  in  Paris!" 

The  Ambassador  listened  under  protest.  At  the 
end  of  patience  he  finally  sat  down  in  his  chair  and 
waited  for  Victoire  to  finish. 

"Look  here,  Countess,"  he  said,  leaning  on  the 
desk  and  looking  straight  at  her,  "tell  your  brother 
that  if  I  hear  any  more  about  that  marriage  and  my 
paying  his  debts  that  I'll  put  a  bigger  crimp  in  him 
than  I've  yet  done." 

"But  surely- 

"Yes — surely.  Now,  Countess,  have  you  any 
more  favors  to  ask?  I'm  mighty  busy  this  morn- 
ing." 

I  saw  Victoire  reach  for  her  handkerchief  and 
knew  what  was  coming.  Another  moment  and  she 
was  sobbing  as  if  her  heart  were  broken.  The 
Ambassador  sprang  up  from  his  chair  and  went  to 
the  window.  With  his  back  turned  to  the  room  I 
caught  the  sound  of  a  thoroughly  exasperated  "Oh, 
hell!" 

Victoire  sobbed  through  an  unsympathetic  silence. 
"Surely,"  she  murmured,  "you  will  intercede  with 
his  Majesty  so  that  my  dear  brother  may  return !" 


296  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

The  Ambassador  turned  from  the  window  with 
an  evident  determination  to  cut  the  interview  short 
at  all  costs.  He  went  straight  up  to  Victoire. 

"My  dear  Countess,  you  may  not  know  it,  but  I 
have  your  country's  interest  very  much  at  heart. 
You  see,  it's  the  only  country  I've  ever  been  Am 
bassador  to,  and  it's  the  only  one  I'll  ever  be  Am 
bassador  to — so  help  me  God !  So  naturally  I  have 
a  pride  in  seeing  it  succeed.  And  the  only  way  for 
it  to  prosper  is  to  get  along  without  your  dear 
brother." 

Victoire  rose,  splendidly  handsome  in  her  righteous 
fury.  "You  mean  to  insult  me,"  she  cried,  "but 
you  cannot !  What  are  you  but  an  American ! — a 
vulgar,  crude  barbarian!  All  of  you  are  that!" 
This  with  a  scorching  glance  at  me.  "Nothing  you 
could  say  would  mean  anything  to  me !  I  am  happy 
that  you  do  nothing  for  me !  It  would  be  too  great 
a  supplice  for  me  to  accept  anything  from  you !  You 
are  nothing  but  canaille — all  of  you — you  Amer 
icans!"  The  contempt  in  that  last  "you  Amer 
icans"  was  beyond  description.  She  went  toward 
the  door  with  effective  scorn. 

The  Ambassador  let  her  reach  the  door,  then 
spoke:  "One  moment,  please."  With  a  meaning 
look  at  me  he  waited.  Victoire  stopped  and  stood 
with  her  back  to  us.  Evidently  she  found  it  difficult 
to  bring  herself  to  look  once  more  upon  "you  Amer 
icans." 

The  Ambassador  took  out  his  pocket-book  and 
drew  a  check  from  it.  "My  wife,"  he  said,  "asked 
me  to  send  this  to  you  for  services  rendered.  After 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  297 

your  remarks  I  suppose  I  had  better  tear  it  up.  Of 
course,  you  could  never  bring  yourself  to  take  money 
from  an  American." 

Victoire  turned,  walked  straight  across  the  room 
up  to  him,  looked  squarely  in  his  eyes,  and  lifted 
her  hand  for  the  check.  However,  the  Ambassador 
was  too  quick  for  her;  he  had  already  withdrawn  it 
from  her  reach. 

"Excuse  me,"  he  said,  controlling  his  expression 
with  an  effort.  "I  see  you  can  bring  yourself  to 
take  money  from  an  American.  I  wanted  to  be  sure 
of  that  first.  Now,  I  have  just  one  question  to  ask." 

By  this  time  Victoire's  eyes  were  blazing. 

"I  want  to  know  who  took  that  cable." 

Victoire's  head  lifted.  "You  will  never  know 
that." 

"Very  well,  then,"  the  Ambassador  began  fold 
ing  the  check  in  his  hand.  "Of  course,  if  you  are 
afraid  I'll  tell,  you  are  mistaken.  I've  done  all  the 
harm  I  am  going  to  do  here.  Whoever  took  that 
cable  will  not  be  molested.  Only — I'd  like  mighty 
well  to  know.  After  all,  as  it  turned  out,  it  was  a 
pretty  good  thing  to  have  done." 

I  saw  Victoire's  expression  change;  she  even  be 
gan  to  smile.  "If  you  really  want  to  know— 

I  made  a  quick  step  toward  her  and  caught  her 
hand.  "For  God's  sake  don't  tell  him,"  I  cried. 

Even  in  my  excitement  and  fear  I  did  not  miss 
her  look  of  surprise.  She  turned  on  me  as  if  I  had 
insulted  her.  "Why  shouldn't  I  tell  him?"  Then 
quickly,  to  the  Ambassador:  "You  will  never  see 
him  again." 


298  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

"Him!"  I  exclaimed. 

She  did  not  deign  to  answer  my  question.  In 
stead  she  looked  at  her  wrist-watch.  "He  crossed 
the  frontier  an  hour  ago." 

The  Ambassador  began  unfolding  the  check  in  a 
most  tempting  way.  "And  his  name?" 

Victoire  burst  into  laughter.  "You  ridiculous 
Americans !  You  employ  people  who  are  already 
employed  in  the  secret  service  of  another  govern 
ment.  You  trust  them  with  your  most  secret  affairs. 
The  man  who  took  that  cable  has  been  in  this  Em 
bassy  for  many  years." 

"You  mean  Arturo?" 

"Of  course.  Any  one  but  an  American  would 
have  known." 

The  Ambassador  extended  his  hand  with  the 
check  in  it.  "There's  your  money,  Countess." 

This  time  Victoire  jerked  it  from  his  hand  before 
he  had  time  to  change  his  mind,  even  if  he  had  in 
tended  to  do  so.  With  her  head  up  and  not  an 
atom  of  dignity  gone  she  swept  out  of  the  room. 
It  was  magnificently  done.  A  goddess,  receiving 
sacrifice  from  mere  mortals,  could  not  have  man 
aged  it  better. 

The  Ambassador  sat  down  heavily.  "  Who'd 
have  thought  that  popinjay  had  sense  enough  to  do 
a  thing  like  that !  Well — that's  over.  Now — what's 
left?" 

There  were  a  thousand  things  to  do  to-day  that 
no  one  had  thought  of  before;  and  to  make  matters 


THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR  299 

worse  there  was  a  steady  stream  of  callers.  Even 
the  Consul  and  Mrs.  Haynes  came  to  make  a  long 
visit.  She  is  genuinely  distressed  at  the  Ambas 
sador's  departure,  said  he  was  the  only  Ambassador 
she  had  ever  liked,  and  that  she  knew  he  was  the 
only  one  who  had  ever  lived  up  to  the  real  American 
spirit. 

While  she  was  there  he  opened  the  drawer  of  his 
desk  and  took  out  a  large,  very  important-looking 
envelope.  "When  I  paid  my  good-by  visit  to  the 
King,"  he  said  to  her,  "he  gave  me  this  package 
and  asked  me  to  deliver  it  to  an  American  lady  he 
had  met  at  my  house.  He  didn't  remember  her 
name,  but  he  said  she  was  the  most  patriotic  lady 
he  had  ever  met.  I'm  inclined  to  think  he  meant 
you,  Mrs.  Haynes,"  he  ended,  handing  her  the  en 
velope. 

Mrs.  Haynes  beamed  and  opened  the  envelope. 
It  was  a  signed  photograph  of  his  Majesty  in  coro 
nation  attire. 

After  the  photograph  was  sufficiently  admired, 
restored  to  its  envelope,  and  addressed  to  the  Ladies 
Civic  League  of  Kraco,  and  laid  aside  to  be  conveyed 
in  the  diplomatic  pouch  to  its  distant  destination, 
the  Ambassador  asked  Mrs.  Haynes  if  she  were 
ready  to  go  home  with  the  rest  of  us.  Her  reply 
brought  a  tremendous  shock.  It  appears  that,  since 
her  acceptance  of  European  customs,  she  has  be 
come  quite  contented;  one  might  go  so  far  as  to  say 
she  was  enjoying  herself;  and  as  for  returning  to 
Kraco — well,  she  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that, 


300  THE  AMERICAN  AMBASSADOR 

after  all,  she  might  find  it  a  little  lacking  in  ro 
mance. 

At  sunset  Kate  and  I  went  out  in  the  garden  and 
wandered  about  bidding  farewell  to  the  scenes  that 
would  always  remain  so  indelibly  stamped  on  our 
memory,  for  in  them  the  deciding  moments  of  our 
lives  have  been  cast.  We  did  not  speak  of  the 
miserable  period  we  have  been  through;  indeed,  we 
have  decided  not  to  mention  it.  That  belongs  to 
the  past  and  should  be  forgotten.  We  are  only 
looking  toward  the  future  and  planning  all  sorts  of 
happy  times.  The  Ambassador  threw  out  a  hint 
to-day  that  it  might  be  good  for  us  to  go  in  for 
diplomacy  for  a  few  years.  He  may  have  only  been 
joking  or  doing  it  to  test  us.  Anyhow,  Kate  and  I 
have  been  discussing  it  ever  since;  and  when  we  had 
left  the  garden  and  come  into  the  reception-room 
of  the  chancery  and  stood  surrounded  by  the  sym 
bols  of  our  own  country,  I  felt  sure  Kate  was  think 
ing  of  the  same  thing  as  I. 

"I  suppose  there  is  nothing  in  the  world  so 
thrilling,"  she  said,  looking  up  at  the  pictures  of 
former  ambassadors,  "as  to  feel  that  you  personally 
are  representing  to  another  nation  all  that  your  own 
stands  for ! " 

We  thought  it  over  in  silence  a  little  while;  then, 
with  her  hand  slipped  into  mine,  I  immediately 
forgot  national  enthusiasms  for  more  personal 
ones. 

"After  we  are  married,  Kate" — I  began,   then 


THE    AMERICAN    AMBASSADOR  301 

stopped,  struck  by  the  thoughtful  expression  of  her 
face. 

"It's  an  awful  responsibility,  though,  isn't  it?" 
She  said  this,  not  looking  at  me,  but  at  the  Houdon 
bust  of  Washington. 

"Getting  married!"  I  exclaimed,  a  bit  alarmed. 
"Why?" 

"No — no!"  Her  glance  came  back  to  me  and 
she  laughed  gayly.  "I  was  thinking  of  representing 
the  United  States  of  America." 


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